


Empire of Angels

by lesslovelythings



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 1920s, Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1920s, Alternate Universe - Industrial Revolution, Amnesia, Angst, Beta Hunk (Voltron), Beta Lance, Beta Shay, F/M, Frottage, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Infant Death, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Memory Loss, Mpreg, Multi, NSFW, Nursing, Omega Keith (Voltron), Omega Verse, Original Character Death(s), Post Mpreg, Pregnancy, Sex, keith is selectively mute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2018-10-21 01:38:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10675029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesslovelythings/pseuds/lesslovelythings
Summary: A blush spread across Keith’s cheeks and he gazed at the sweet pup nuzzled against his chest. The need to make a new nest surged within him and he wondered if Shay and Hunk would be willing to give him a blanket or two. He probably shouldn’t overstay his visit, though, because they might start expecting something in return, and he had nothing to give.-----In the era between the Industrial Revolution and the world wars, Keith is an omega struggling to stay alive. After losing two of his three pups, he is taken in by Shay and Hunk, a beta pair, and in soon introduced to the alpha Shiro. As Keith comes to realize, the veteran alpha is a lot kinder than he seems, and Keith slowly falls in love.-----*ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE*





	1. The Pup

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and thank you for reading! This is my first time using archive of our own as a fanfiction medium, so please forgive me if I have no idea what I'm doing! 
> 
> I had the idea for this fic a while before I started writing it down - but as a novel. Then I decided, why not make it a Voltron fanfiction, right? So here is the product...
> 
> Title inspired by the first song in the game Dancing Line, The Piano aka Empire of Angels.

Keith awoke to the sound of a crying pup. Small and weak, the noises brought him to full consciousness and he crooned softly to comfort the feeble creature nestled against his chest. He touched it gently, hands shaking – this would be the only pup that survived the freezing night. 

 

The pup’s sister’s body was cold and rigid and with a sickened feeling in his gut, Keith pushed the little corpse away. The abandoned textile mill only provided the barest shelter - it wasn’t enough to protect from the harsh cold nights.

 

The last pup had passed the night before, though it had never really been alive. It didn’t live past several minutes.

 

Out of three, only this one survived. A tiny male. He would need to give the sister a proper burial, just as he had done with the third pup. Out of the city, in the woods beneath one of the giant oaks. That’s where he would put her.

 

The clatter of metal alerted him to the presence of an intruder. He scented the air – it was the alpha that kept visiting, that had been visiting, for the last year. Keith held the pup tight to his chest and the alpha stepped out of the shadows. 

 

“Give it to me,” the alpha ordered, holding out his hands. 

 

How dare he ask for the pup. Keith growled softly and the once-subdued pup’s cries started again. After giving the alpha a good glare, he returned his attention to the pup, and crooned to the pup to hush it.

 

“It’s in your best interest to give me the pup,” the alpha said lowly. Keith bristled as the alpha stepped forward, teeth bared. “Give it to me!”

 

Keith shook his head. No. How could he give up his pup? It was his, not this alpha’s. 

 

The alpha closed in on him and Keith growled again. This was his nest, and his pup, and he’d be damned if this alpha thought he could march in and do whatever he wanted. 

 

“You still refuse to talk,” the alpha stated, crouching in front of the nest. Ignoring Keith’s warning growls, the alpha extended a hand towards Keith’s chest, where the pup lay wrapped beneath layers of cloth. Keith snapped his teeth and the alpha yanked his hand back. “You’re an aggressive little thing, aren’t you?” the alpha mocked. “Do I need to teach you how to behave around your superiors?”

 

Before Keith could make another sound, the alpha’s hand was tight around his neck. 

 

“Do I need to teach you how to be respectful?” the alpha said with a sneer. Keith grabbed his wrist and tried to force the alpha’s hand away from his throat, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to. The pregnancy had taken all the strength from him. “Give me the pup!”

 

No. Keith dug his nails into the alpha’s skin and when the alpha pulled his arm back in retreat, Keith sunk his teeth into the soft skin on the alpha’s hand. 

 

He was rewarded with a heavy smack across his cheek. The alpha smirked, rubbing his bitten hand, and Keith winced as his cheek began to sting. Touching the skin tenderly, his eyes widened as warm crimson seemed to appear on his fingertips. He looked at the alpha in shock and the alpha opened his palm to reveal a small piece of scrap metal. 

 

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning,” the alpha said, standing up. He tossed the scrap metal to the side and strode out of the factory.

 

Keith waited until the alpha was gone completely before tending to his wound. The cut wasn’t terribly deep, but it hurt a lot, and Keith pressed a piece of cloth against the cut to stop the bleeding. 

 

This nest was no longer safe. It had never been very safe to begin with, but now with the alpha wanting his pup, the nest didn’t offer the same refuge it had. But where to go? The forest wasn’t an option – it was too cold and unprotected. The one omega hostel the city had to offer was expensive and undoubtedly full. He could always ask farmers if he could sleep in their barns or stables, but they would likely think he was only there to steal. 

 

Keith forced himself to his feet. Sitting around wasn’t going to help. He needed to get somewhere safe before the day ended, not just for his sake but for the pup’s, too. 

 

Using what little cloth he had, he wrapped the pup to his chest in a sling, and with the remaining cloth, he bundled up the tiny corpse of the pup’s sister. Keith glanced down at his nest. He would have to abandon anything he couldn’t carry and that meant leaving almost everything he’d obtained over the last year, including the blanket he’d been using as a bed. After having the pups, though, the blanket was probably impossible to clean, so abandoning it might be ideal.

 

Keith tore a clean strip from the blanket and tied it so it covered the pup. Anything to keep the frail being warm. 

 

He pulled on his coat and started stuffing the pockets with his belongings. Coins, buttons, little things he could sell if needed. Lifting the sack of straw he’d used as a pillow, he grabbed his dagger. He’d never used the weapon against anyone – yet. Fighting the visiting alpha with it would be a bad idea, as he was fairly sure the alpha would kill him if he pulled out the weapon. And then what? The pup would be left alone to fend for itself or be taken by the alpha, and who knew what the alpha wanted it for.

 

Keith used the blade to slice into the sack of straw, tossed the straw away, and cut the fabric into smaller strips which he used to wrap up the dagger. It would be no use to him if people on the streets could see he carried a weapon. 

 

* * *

 

 

Keith stared at the little graves. Suppressed sadness coiled in the pit of his stomach, threatening to lash out and force his emotions to show. He had already done enough crying – the pain that came with delivering the pups, the horror he felt when he realized he was pregnant, the fear that came with his first heat. Crying now wouldn’t solve anything, but he held his tiny pup closer. If he lost this one, too, Keith didn’t know what he would do.

                      

The rumbling in his stomach brought his attention to a different matter. Food. He needed food. He needed to eat, and the pup needed to nurse. It should be hungry by now and he was surprised that it hadn’t started to cry yet.

 

Strange.

 

He lifted the cloth to check on the pup. It was just sleeping. That was okay, he decided. He would wake it up to nurse it after he had eaten.

 

Heading back to the city, Keith made sure his steps were gentle as to not wake the little pup. The pup would wake up as soon as he entered through the city gates, though. The noise of carriages and people would wake the poor thing, and then it would start to cry.

 

It was exactly as he thought.

 

He walked past the gate guards, a horse whinnied, and the pup started to cry. He gently crooned to the pup, hoping it would quiet down, but it only cried louder and he hurried to the side of the street.

 

"Hey!”

 

Keith looked up from the pup, confused. A stocky beta waved at him from the doorway to a bakery. The scent of bread made his stomach growl loudly and the beta laughed.

 

“You should come in if you’re hungry! We have plenty of food!”

 

Keith gave him a quizzical look, hesitant about whether he could trust the beta or not, but when the pup’s cries grew louder, he rushed to the bakery.

 

Inside the cozy little shop was more bread and pastries than Keith had ever seen in one place. The smell of sugar and flour was almost overwhelming and Keith rubbed his nose.

 

“Smells great, doesn’t it?” the beta said. He motioned to a broad-shouldered woman standing behind the counter. “That’s Shay, my mate. I’m Hunk. What’s your name?”

 

Keith swallowed and shook his head. The beta seemed to understand, because he immediately changed the subject.

 

“That’s your pup, isn’t it?” he asked. Keith moved the cloth so Hunk could see the pup’s little face. “Aw! He’s tiny! Look at that button nose!”

 

Keith’s chest swelled with pride. Yes, this was his pup. His perfect pup. 

 

“What’s his or her name?” Shay asked, moving from behind the counter. Keith blinked. He’d never thought of a name. 

 

The pup cried out for food and Keith turned his back to the beta pair so he could nurse it more privately. Its hungry mouth found his nipple and Keith sighed as it began to nurse.

 

“Would you like to come upstairs?” Shay motioned to the staircase behind the counter. “It’ll be more secluded. We can also give you something to eat.”

 

Keith paused. Why were these betas so friendly? What did they gain from helping him? He narrowed his eyes. They could be trying to lure him upstairs to kill him and then take the pup. No one would notice if he disappeared off the streets. He always had his dagger if he needed to defend himself and the pup, but using it now would be a waste of his strength. 

 

He shook his head. He would stay downstairs. 

 

“Alright.” Hunk clapped his hands together. “Shay, watch the shop. I’m going to make this omega something to eat.”

 

Keith watched curiously as Hunk headed to the back of the building. It must be where the pair kept their food and baking supplies, and probably the appliances as well. That meant that the bedrooms and living room were upstairs – did they have any pups? They seemed comfortable enough in life to be able to provide for two or three pups.

 

“Is that your first pup?” Shay asked, leaning against the counter. Keith nodded and she smiled. “You’re doing a good job. Your pup seems healthy and happy.”

 

A blush spread across Keith’s cheeks and he gazed at the sweet pup nuzzled against his chest. The need to make a new nest surged within him and he wondered if Shay and Hunk would be willing to give him a blanket or two. He probably shouldn’t overstay his visit, though, because they might start expecting something in return, and he had nothing to give.

 

“Hello! Welcome!” Shay greeted a customer who had just walked in. Keith watched her exchange familiarities with the customer and felt relieved that the customer hadn’t pointed out Keith’s presence or that he was nursing a pup. In fact, the customer didn’t say anything to him at all, even as he left with his purchased bread and pastries.

 

“I’ve finished cooking,” Hunk said, popping out of the kitchen. Keith’s stomach growled at the mention of food and Hunk laughed. “You must be really hungry. Come back here and eat!”

 

With a respectful dip of his head, Keith walked behind the counter towards Hunk. The closer he got to the kitchen, the hungrier he got, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a proper meal. 

 

“I made buttered salmon with sweet potato wedges – luckily I was already baking the sweet potatoes for a different reason – and wheat bran bread, which I had been baking to put out front. You’d be surprised at how many omegas like bran bread–” Hunk motioned for Keith to sit at the table. “So many. I make a fresh batch every day. The salmon is also fresh – some of the fish sellers at the market and I have a little exchange thing going on, you see–”

 

Keith stared at the food in front of him. It smelled so good and looked amazing, but surely not all of it was for him? He glanced at Hunk in question and the beta gasped.

 

“Oh god, I forgot to get you a drink.” Hunk poured a glass of water and set it next to the plate. 

 

Keith checked on the pup – it had finished nursing and had fallen asleep. Using the fork, he picked up a piece of the salmon and placed it in his mouth.

 

Delicious.

 

He took another bite. It was equally as good as the first. Hunk grinned at him as he ate, obviously pleased that Keith enjoyed his cooking.

 

“I don’t mean to brag or anything, but my skills as a chef are pretty legendary,” Hunk said, loading another piece of salmon onto Keith’s plate. “Eat as much as you want, and if Shay agrees to it, feel free to spend the night here. I’m not going to kick you out.”

 

Keith stopped mid-chew.

 

Had he heard correctly? Was he being offered a place to stay for free? He shook his head. It was wishful thinking. Nothing in life came free.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Hunk reassured him. “I’m not trying to trick you or anything. I mean, you just seem like you have nowhere else to go, and I don’t want to endanger your pup by forcing you to leave.”

 

Tears sprung to his eyes at the kind gesture and Keith blinked them away. It was no use crying now. He needed to be strong for his pup. 

 

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine,” Hunk said quickly. “We’ll try and find somewhere else for you to stay.”

 

He shook his head. Staying here with Shay and Hunk would be… almost a dream. 

 

“I’ll go ask Shay,” Hunk said, leaving the kitchen. Keith took a few more bites of the salmon and the potatoes before deciding he was full, and he stood up. The pup was sound asleep cradled against him. 

 

“She said ‘yes’,” Hunk said happily, reentering the kitchen. Keith turned to face him and Hunk smiled at the sleeping pup. “Aw, he’s so cute. Like a little pip of a pup, ya know?”

 

He did know. And the pup needed a name. ‘Pip of a pup’ would not be permanent as the pup grew and developed. 

 

“I’ve finished preparing the bed,” Shay called from upstairs.

 

Keith’s jaw almost dropped. He got a bed?

 

“Thank you!” Hunk called back. He turned to Keith. “You should go upstairs and do what you need to do to make yourself more comfortable. Nest or whatnot.”

 

Pushing all fears aside, Keith did as he said and made his way upstairs. Shay waited for him at the top and motioned to the first room by the stairs, leading him inside. The room was small, the single bed pushed into a corner, but it had a little window and plenty of blankets. 

 

“I’m sorry it’s so small,” Shay apologized. “We were going to use it for our pups, but we ended up not having any. You can use this room how you like.” 

 

Keith wanted to tell her that it was okay, that the room was perfect. He stepped inside and walked straight to the bed, touching the blankets to make sure they were soft, and he sat on the mattress. 

 

“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Shay said. She closed the door and he went to work arranging the blankets into a suitable nest. 

 


	2. The Betas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg I didn't think that many people would actually read this... my first fanfiction... Thank you so much!
> 
> Feel free to leave comments, I'll try and respond if there are any questions (without revealing any spoilers, of course!)

_Make one sound, and I’ll make this the most painful thing you’ve ever endured._

_Scream, and I’ll kill you._

Keith jolted awake. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at the pup to make sure it was still asleep. The pup yawned but didn’t wake up, and Keith sat up.

 

Why was it the same dream every night? He thought it would have changed by now, but no, ever since it had happened it appeared in his dreams. It made him afraid to go to sleep sometimes – he didn’t want to constantly relive everything that happened. 

 

As quietly as he could, he stood up from the bed and headed to the door. Voices from the kitchen alerted him to Hunk and Shay’s presence in the kitchen, but who did the other voices belong to?

 

“I’m telling you guys, it’s gonna be BIG.”

 

“Yeah, big like my–”

 

“ _Lance_!”

 

Keith opened the door and scented the air, trying to figure out what type of people were down in the kitchen with the beta pair. The amazing smell of pancakes masked their scents and he scowled, annoyed that he couldn’t determine who was there.

 

“So guys, I hear you have a guest staying here. What’s their name?”

 

“He doesn’t talk, so we don’t know. He has a really cute pup, though.”

 

Keith looked at his pup one more time to make sure it was still asleep. It stirred, little hands reaching around for the missing source of warmth, and Keith walked back over to the pup and scooped it into his arms. Sweet, sweet baby. He kissed the pup’s forehead.

 

“Why doesn’t he talk? Is there something wrong with him?”

 

Silence from downstairs. Keith waited for what Hunk and Shay would say in response.

 

“…Well, we don’t really know,” Shay said finally. “But he’s really sweet, I think, and he’s really protective of his pup. It’s his first.”

 

Keith chose then to make his appearance. As he walked down the stairs holding his pup, all voices shushed, and he turned into the kitchen.

 

“Good morning,” Hunk greeted, breaking the silence. Keith slowly looked at the people gathered in the kitchen, making sure they didn’t pose a danger to his pup. The short one and her brother seemed fine, they were both betas, but the tan male sitting at the table was giving him a look he didn’t like. “Are you hungry? I just finished making breakfast.” 

 

Keith nodded and Hunk piled a stack of pancakes onto a plate. To Keith’s relief, he placed the plate on the opposite side of the table from the smirking male.

 

“This is Pidge and Matt,” Shay said, motioning to the sibling betas. “The other guy is Lance. He’s a flirt, so you better watch out.”

 

“Nice to meet you,” Pidge said with a smile. She seemed nice. 

 

“Yeah, nice to meet you,” Matt said, echoing his younger sister. “We’re trying to make this thing that’ll catch the radio waves traveling through the air and convert them into sounds you can hear, it’ll probably be a box or something, lots of electric bits and whatnot.”

 

Keith blinked. What the hell was he talking about?

 

“Whoa there, Matt,” Lance said, holding his hands up. “We don’t all speak inventor.”

 

“A third of us do,” Matt responded with a grin. “Pidge understands.”

 

Keith didn’t understand. Luckily, Hunk decided to change the subject.

 

“Who wants pancakes?”

 

The betas (and Lance) jumped forward to claim their food. As Lance brushed by Keith to reach for his plate of pancakes, Keith couldn’t help but try and place his scent. Lance smelled like a mix of beta and alpha, but that wasn’t possible. 

 

“Don’t worry, Lance is a beta,” Shay said, ignoring the irritated look Lance shot at her. “He may act like an alpha – and use alpha scented cologne – but he’s a beta.”

 

That relieved Keith more than it should have. He really didn’t want there to be an alpha around right now, especially because of the pup. His instincts both wanted an alpha present and didn’t want an alpha present – on one hand, protection from others would be nice, and an alpha could provide that, but on the other hand, an alpha could be a danger to the pup. Soon, as his first heat since pregnancy approached, he would crave an alpha even more, despite the pup.

 

The rest of breakfast went smoothly. Lance finished quickly and left – Keith wasn’t exactly sad to see him go. He didn’t need an alpha or an alpha substitute quite yet. Pidge, however, seemed very nice, as did her brother Matt. He would miss the betas’ welcoming company. 

 

“They’ll probably be back again tomorrow,” Hunk said, cleaning up the kitchen. “Maybe I should make something good for dinner. How does roast chicken sound?”

 

It sounded good. His body appreciated all the food Hunk had prepared over the last few days, and he was sure the pup appreciated it too. 

 

Speaking of the pup, it was time to nurse.

 

Keith stood up, handed Hunk his plate, and headed back upstairs where he could feed the pup in quiet. The pup’s tiny hands reached up at his face and he offered the pup his finger to hold.

 

It’s safe here, little one. A quick smile crossed his lips and the pup’s face brightened happily. I love you.

 

* * *

 

“Your name is Keith?” Hunk asked, looking at the paper in front of them. Keith held the pen in his hand – it was Shay’s idea to ask him questions where he could write down the answer. Of course, he would do it, but only after the pup was asleep upstairs. “And the pup's name? Do you have a name for the pup?"

 

_No_ , Keith wrote.

 

“Do you have any ideas?” Hunk leaned over Keith’s shoulder to look at the paper and it was putting Keith on edge. “Or nicknames? Do you have a last name?”

 

_Rio_ , he scribbled. He knew his handwriting was bad, but he didn’t know it was this bad. _My last name is Kogane_. 

 

“Rio is a cute name. And Kogane? I’ve never heard that surname before.” 

 

Shay entered the kitchen, holding a basket of cloth. “I bought you some clothes.”

 

“Hey Shay, have you heard of the name ‘Kogane’ before?” Hunk asked his mate. 

 

Shay set the basket on the table and Keith looked at the clothes, and then looked at Shay. Why was she so kind to him?

 

“I haven’t.” She laid out the clothes on the table. Three shirts, two pairs of pants, and socks. Keith’s jaw dropped. “Are we inviting Shiro over for dinner tonight? He just got back from the front lines.”

 

“Sure… if Keith is okay with it.”

 

Keith frowned. Who was Shiro?”

 

“Shiro’s an alpha,” Hunk explained, and Keith cringed. “He’s nice, very laid back.”

 

“Very calm,” Shay added, handing Keith one of the shirts. “I think red is your color.”

 

“Shiro wouldn’t do anything to hurt you or your pup,” Hunk said reassuringly.

 

_Okay_ , Keith wrote. He didn’t particularly want to meet the alpha, but if the betas liked and trusted him, he couldn’t be bad.

 

“Good! I think you’ll really like Shiro.” 

 

Keith nodded, accepting of the situation yet dubious if he would actually like the alpha. He’d never met a good alpha – they were either assholes or he didn’t care for them. Most of them, assholes. Alphas that only saw him as a source of sex or something to talk down to. Honestly, Keith didn’t want to meet Shiro, but if Hunk and Shay wanted it, he would let it be without protest.

 

“He wants to name the pup ‘Rio’,” Hunk said suddenly to his mate. “I think it’s cute. It’s better than ‘pip of a pup’, at any rate.”

 

“Rio?” Shay echoed. “I suppose it is cute. Are you going to use your last name or the sire’s?”

 

A low whine sounded in the back of Keith’s throat. He didn’t want to think of the pup’s sire. He wasn’t even sure of who the sire was. It could have been the visiting alpha, or any of the others…

 

Tears stung his eyes and he looked down, away from the betas. It was humiliating, to be so vulnerable to them like this, crying after a single question. He didn’t want to think about the sire. At all. His pup would _never know_ his alpha parent – Keith would make sure of it.

 

“I’m sorry I asked. I just – I’m sorry.” Shay said softly. She mumbled something to Hunk and Keith heard the creaking of wooden floors as she left the kitchen. Hunk returned to the front of the house minutes later, leaving Keith alone in the room. 

 

Keith forced himself to stand. What use was it worrying about the sire? For one, he had Hunk and Shay, and he felt fairly certain that they would not abandon him. Second, it didn’t matter who the sire was. He could take care of the pup himself, without any help from an alpha. Sure, it would be nice to have assistance from a mate, but that wasn’t an option right now. 

 

He walked upstairs and checked in on the pup. It was still asleep on the bed, in the center of the nest of blankets Keith had arranged, but it stirred as he approached and opened its eyes.

 

“Rio,” he said, voice barely a whisper. The pup tried to lift its head at the sound of his voice and Keith smiled at it. It amazed him how the pup was so plump and healthy, when Keith himself had been starving. The food Hunk provided would help him regain his strength as well as feed the pup, and for that, he was truly grateful.

 

The rest of the day went smoothly. Keith lounged in his nest for most of the day and in the afternoon, he took Rio downstairs to see Shay and Hunk. The pup seemed comfortable enough with the betas’ scents for them to hold him, but after a few minutes he would begin to whimper for his parent and Keith would take him in his arms and croon quietly until Rio hushed.

 

When dinnertime came at last, the knot of worry in Keith’s gut grew tighter. The alpha hadn’t arrived yet, but with every passing minute, he grew more and more anxious. What would Shiro be like? Would he be aggressive, like all the alphas Keith had met before? Or would he be gentle and sweet, an alpha Keith could only imagine?

 

He didn’t have to wait long to find out, because the door suddenly opened and the alpha entered the bakery. The scar across the bridge of his nose and white bangs caught Keith off guard, but the alpha was still incredibly handsome.

 

“Hunk! Shay!” The alpha looked around for his two friends and his gaze rested on Keith. “An omega? What’s your name?”

 

“This is Keith,” Hunk said, popping in from the kitchen. Keith was grateful for his presence; he didn’t want to be left alone with the strong-looking alpha. Even if Shiro was missing his right arm – lost while fighting, probably – he could still overpower Keith simply because he was an alpha. “He’s staying with us indefinitely. He’s really quiet, but he’s trustworthy.”

 

“Is that his pup?” Shiro asked, taking note of the small bundle in Keith’s arms. His gaze was soft and caring, unlike the cold, hard eyes most alphas seemed to have. 

 

“Yes,” Hunk said merrily. “The pup’s name is Rio.”

 

Shiro stepped towards Keith, obviously curious about the pup, and Keith retreated back a few steps. He didn’t want the alpha near Rio if he could help it. Shiro must have sensed it, because he paused, looking at Keith quizzically, and followed Hunk into the kitchen. 

 

Keith sighed in relief. So far, so good. The alpha wasn’t being aggressive – yet. 

 

“C’mon, Keith,” Hunk called from the kitchen, and Keith hurried to join them at the table. Already, delicious looking food was laid before them and Shay sat the last dish down before sitting. 

 

“Thank you for inviting me over,” Shiro said as they began eating. Keith took a bite of mashed potatoes. “I appreciate all your help.”

 

“Not a problem,” Hunk responded with a grin. “It’s good to have you back. How’s your dad doing?”

 

“Oh, he’s… you know. Wants me to get a mate already.”

 

So Shiro didn’t have a mate. Keith’s instincts were intrigued and he tried his hardest to not look to interested. Why would he be curious about an alpha he’d just met? It was ridiculous.

 

Hunk laughed. “Do you have anyone in mind? Or does he?”

 

Shiro rolled his eyes. “He wants me to marry some good-to-do omega, preferably someone from a good family. Frankly, I think he just wants grandpups.”

 

Oh. Keith’s little streak of hope faltered. Here was a nice alpha, without a mate, who wasn’t interested in him at all. Why did only the assholes feel attracted to him? Not even attracted, really, but twistedly entertained?

 

“If he wants me to choose a mate,” Shiro continued, “I’ll be the one to decide who it is. Not him.”

 

And it wouldn’t be him, Keith knew. He forced his instincts under control and silenced all his roaming ‘what-if’ thoughts. There was no way. He shouldn’t be like this, especially after he’d just met someone. Especially since he’d told himself over and over again that he wanted nothing to do with alphas. 

 

“Did the army give you an honorable discharge?” Shay asked, motioning to his arm.

 

“Yes… I can’t exactly fight with only one arm, can I?” Shiro said with a laugh, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “They’re sending money for me to live off of for now. They say I’ll be compensated later, because I was a captain and all, but it doesn’t change the fact that I was discharged.”

 

“You know you wouldn’t be able to perform well without your arm,” Hunk said reassuringly. “And it was honorable, right? That means you did a good job. You went well above their expectations, Shiro. I mean, you _sacrificed your fucking arm_ for one of your men.”

 

Keith almost choked on his food. 

 

“Well, yeah,” Shiro said, face turning red. “What else was I supposed to do? Sit there and watch?”

 

“Most people would have,” Hunk said. “But you didn’t. I bet the government has all sorts of awards lined up for you.”

 

“Probably not,” Shiro muttered beneath his breath. He glanced at Keith and Keith automatically dropped his gaze. Staring too long into an alpha’s eyes could mean a challenge.

 

“Keith, do you want to show Shiro your pup?” Hunk suggested. Shiro looked at him expectantly and Keith leaned forward so the alpha could see Rio’s face.

 

The alpha melted immediately. “He’s so cute!”

 

“Isn’t he though?” Hunk gushed. “He’s so tiny and adorable!”

 

Keith blushed at the praise for the pup. Of course, and to Keith’s partial dismay, Rio decided then that it was time to wake up, and opened his large blue eyes. The pup giggled at the sight of his omega parent and Keith smiled softly to his pup, happy that Rio was comfortable even with the alpha present, and the pup reached his tiny hand up to grab onto Keith’s finger.

 

A chorus of “aww”s met his ears and he hummed to the pup. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Shiro holding his hand out for the pup to grab, but before he could move the pup away, Rio’s other hand was tight around Shiro’s finger.

 

“He’s precious,” Shiro breathed, obviously charmed by the pup. Keith shifted in his seat, discomforted by the alpha’s close proximity to him and his pup. Simultaneously, he dipped his head to take a discrete scent of the alpha, recoiling in shock when he realized the alpha’s scent was _attractive as hell_.

 

Shiro must’ve noticed it, too, because the alpha looked up to stare him in the eyes. Like before, Keith dropped his gaze instantly, but out of curiosity, lifted his head back up to meet Shiro’s eyes.

 

Stormy grey. Strong, yet kind. Determined, yet… confused?

 

Shiro looked back to Hunk and Shay to make a comment on the food. Keith blinked in surprise – he hadn’t expected the alpha to break the stare off first. If anything, he’d been about to drop his gaze again to prove to Shiro that he wasn’t a threat. Wait. Maybe that’s what Shiro was doing? The alpha should know that he would be protective of his pup, and to show he wasn’t a threat would be a sign of trust. But why?

 

Hunk cleared his throat. “Keith, are you done eating?”

 

Keith nodded and lifted his plate for Hunk to take. Hunk took Shiro’s plate as well and went to work doing the dishes.

 

“Do you mind if I ask you some questions?” Shiro asked. Keith paused before nodding – Hunk and Shay were here, so if Shiro asked anything he didn’t want to answer, they could cover for him. Shay handed him the paper again, his last answers scribbled out at the top. “Is Rio your only pup?”

 

Keith stopped, hand hovering above the paper. A hard question, right off the bat.

 

_No,_ he wrote, eyes watering, not waiting for Shay or Hunk to intervene. _I had two others_.

 

“I’m sorry for asking,” Shiro said. Rio giggled and Keith rubbed the pup’s head, wishing there was some way for the pup to not grow up lonely without his siblings. “Did you lose them early on?”

 

_Yes._ The pup released his hold on Shiro and Keith stiffened as Shiro reached for the pup’s head. Rio smiled in the heart-warming way only a pup could smile and Shiro pet his head softly, trying to be gentle with the week-old pup.

 

“You’re going to be a good parent,” Shiro said, voice quiet. “You’re very protective, I can tell. He’ll grow up well with you around. Do you plan to raise him alone?”

 

Keith cocked his head to the side. Did he plan to raise Rio alone? Well, no, he’d originally hoped that some alpha would decide to claim him and help him raise the pups. Of course, that hadn’t happened. But now, given as he didn’t have a choice, he would raise Rio alone.

 

_I will if I have to,_ he wrote. Unlike others that he knew of, he would never abandon the pup because of the lack of an alpha. Even if it would be harder to survive, how could he abandon his own child?

 

Shiro leaned back in his chair. “That’s good of you. I’m sure you’ll find someone to help you raise Rio, whether that be Hunk and Shay or someone else.”

 

_It could be you,_ Keith wanted to write. His pen hovered above the paper. Was that bold? Too bold, definitely.

 

“Have you ever had a mate?” Shiro asked. Keith shook his head. “Hunk and Shay know, but… I did. She was an alpha.”

 

Keith frowned. An alpha? Two alphas, a mated pair? It seemed strange, unnatural even.

 

“She died in childbirth,” Shiro continued. “I lost the pup as well. Ever since then, my father has been hard-pressed on finding me a new mate to… I don’t know. I didn’t have time to mourn, as I was deployed right after their deaths.”

 

_I’m sorry,_ Keith wrote, unsure of what else to say.

 

“It’s fine. I’m mostly past it now.” Shiro stood and Keith copied him. “I should get going.”

 

Hunk and Shay bid him farewell and the alpha left the bakery. Keith watched him go, mixed emotions swirling through his body. The betas were right in that he liked the alpha, but did Shiro like him back? And why did Shiro tell him those things? To take pity on him? To try and connect?

 

“Don’t worry, he likes you,” Hunk said, as if reading Keith’s thoughts. “He’s just… It’s just how he is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for making it this far. Writing Shiro is very difficult as he is my favorite character and I don't want to write him badly... And finals are coming up so it may be a bit longer until Chapter 3 is posted.


	3. The Alpha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello Allura

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and reads! Exams have been a pain in the butt. Here is chapter three, finally.

The days seemed to fly by. It was nothing like living in the abandoned factory, unsure of when he would get his next meal or wondering if the visiting alpha would visit yet again. Sometimes it was different alphas, but it usually was that same visitor, over and over again. Keith couldn’t recall when he’d first been found out, but it hadn’t been a pleasant memory, so he didn’t think of it often. Now he had a safe place to stay and all the food he could eat. He could lounge in his room, his pup cuddled next to him, or he could help customers with Hunk and Shay, or he could clean the house. All options were far better than what he was used to.

 

He also had Shiro’s visits to look forward to. The alpha came by every now and then to visit or eat with them – honestly, Keith thought he had nothing better to do. Shiro was probably antsy from the lack of fighting. When soldiers return home, they don’t know what to do with themselves, right? Keith could imagine him pacing back and forth, unsure of what to do. From what he knew of Shiro’s father, he was expected to get a mate, so maybe he was mate-searching. Shiro _had_ brought up a few names during meals, so maybe he’d already found someone he was interested in.

 

Keith sighed. Of course, Shiro could be with whoever he wanted. He was strong, good looking…and an alpha.

 

Rio giggled and Keith looked at the baby in his arms. Most alphas didn’t want a mate who had pups by a different alpha, and Shiro was likely not an exception.

 

He was fine alone. He’d always been alone, and he’d survived this long, hadn’t he?

 

The bell to the door jingled and Keith glanced up. A tall woman of striking beauty stood in the doorway, the scent of alpha radiating from her.

 

“Hello, omega,” she said, her voice carrying a slight accent. “Are Shay and Hunk here?”

 

Keith nodded. Hunk was at the market but Shay was in the back preparing some pastries. He carried the pup behind the counter to the kitchen and when she saw him, he motioned for her to come out into the front of the shop.

 

“Oh! Allura!” Shay exclaimed, expression brightening. “I haven’t seen you in so long! When did you get back?”

 

“Coran and I returned yesterday evening,” Allura said. “The trip was long, but bearable. Nothing like what Shiro’s been through, I imagine.”

 

“That is true,” Shay agreed. She ushered the female alpha into the kitchen, leaving Keith standing in the front of the bakery. Keith wanted to follow them – he was slightly bored, as the bakery wasn’t busy yet. Listening to their conversation could be entertaining, though he got the feeling he wasn’t exactly invited to join.

 

“I brought you something!” he heard Allura say happily. Keith peeked into the kitchen to watch her present Shay with a small box. “Open it!”

 

Shay slowly opened the box and then slammed it shut right away. “A-Allura, I can’t accept this…”

 

“It’s a gift,” Allura said. “Please accept it. I know how much you love the crystals, and when I saw it I couldn’t help but think of you, and then your birthday passed, and I just had to buy it!”

 

Shay opened the box again and this time Keith caught a glimpse of what was inside. A shining silver wire wrapped around a sparkling blue gem, so bright it almost seemed to glow. How _expensive_ was something like that? More than the entire bakery, probably. Keith glanced up at Allura. Who exactly was this alpha, to buy something so valuable on a whim?

 

“Thank you, Allura,” Shay breathed. “It’s… beautiful.”

 

“I knew you would like it,” Allura said with a smile. Her gaze landed on Keith and he almost jumped in surprise that she’d seen him. “I’ve never seen you here before; what’s your name?”

 

“His name is Keith,” Shay answered. Keith stepped inside the kitchen, skirting away from Allura just to be safe. No matter who the alpha was, she was new and couldn’t be trusted. “He started living with us about a week ago.”

 

“I see. What is your pup’s name, Keith?”

 

Keith narrowed his eyes. She was too close. Cheerful and clearly trying to not be a threat, but too close. A low growl rose in the back of his throat and he backed away from her, bumping against the wall, and she took a step forward, trying to get a good look at the pup.

 

Shay put her hand on her friend’s shoulder and Allura looked up. “He’s really protective of his pup, so doing that is probably not how to get him to like you.”

 

“Oh!” To Keith’s relief, the alpha backed off immediately. “I’m sorry, Keith.”

 

Keith dipped his head in acceptance of her apology, but decided to retreat back to the front of the bakery nonetheless. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the alpha just yet.

 

The pup yawned, small arms flailing, and looked up at his omega parent. Warmth spread through Keith’s chest and he smiled softly to the pup, crooning quietly. Rio smiled and giggled joyfully as Keith offered the pup his finger to hold on to.

 

The bakery door swung open. Hunk, followed closely by Pidge, entered holding bags stuffed with food. He watched as they struggled to the kitchen and set the bags down on the table – then came the formalities with Allura, the greetings, the hugs, the ‘welcome back’s. It was a world Keith didn’t know too well.

 

“Hiya, Keith,” Pidge said to him from the kitchen. Keith approached the small beta, unsure of her intentions. “Is Rio doing well?”

 

He nodded and Pidge smiled widely.

 

“That’s good! How is the little guy?”

 

Keith crouched so Pidge could see the pup properly. Rio still held onto his finger, determined to not let go.

 

“He’s growing fast, isn’t he?” Pidge commented. “I bet he’s smart, too. That’ll be good. You’re going to send him to school, right?”

 

Did he have money for the pup to go to school? No. Would he have liked for the pup to go to school if at all possible? Yes, preferably. To answer Pidge, he simply shook his head, and Pidge frowned in response.

 

“Why not? Is it money? I’m sure we can scrap enough money together to send him.” Pidge turned to Hunk, who was unloading food from the bags. “We’re sending Rio to school, right?”

 

“That’s up to Keith,” Hunk replied, pulling a jar of cherries out of one of the bags. “Also, we’re gonna need more flour soon. It’s not something you want to run out of at a bakery.”

 

Pidge groaned. “Get Lance to help you with that. Flour bags are way too heavy – you know I’d rather help Matt with his ‘radio’ thing.”

 

“You’ll help me if you want free pastries,” Hunk said, and Pidge scoffed.

 

“Fine, you got me there.” She turned back to Keith. “Anyway, if you want to send Rio to school, I’m sure we can do it. Allura could make some _generous donations_ if-”

 

“I’ll do what?” Allura interrupted. Pidge grinned sheepishly.

 

“You’ll donate to the cause of sending Keith’s pup to school when he’s older.”

 

“Hm.” Allura shrugged. “Maybe.”

 

“Yes! I told you, Keith!” Pidge exclaimed, accepting Allura’s reply as a potential ‘yes’.

 

Keith didn’t need to worry about that aspect of the pup’s future just yet. For now, he was content.

 

* * *

 

A day came when he was alone with Shiro. Hunk and Shay were both out, Shiro was there, the pup was asleep upstairs, and Keith didn’t know what to do with himself.

 

At least he wasn’t the only one. Shiro fidgeted in his seat, across from Keith, strumming his fingers across the table. They’d both finished their meals and Keith expected Shiro to ask him a few questions and then leave, like he typically did. He had the paper in front of him and he was prepared to scribble down answers, but for whatever reason, it was taking Shiro a long time to _ask._

The alpha suddenly cleared his throat, making Keith jump in surprise. “Do you have any questions for me? Ask anything, and I’ll try to answer it.”

 

Keith thought for a moment. There was so much he wanted to ask the alpha and there was one question he wanted to know above all, but he wouldn’t dare ask it. Instead, he settled for different, easier questions.

 

_How long have you known Hunk and Shay and the others?_

“I met Matt first, actually,” Shiro said with a laugh. It was a pleasant sound – Keith liked it. “We were training for the army together when we became friends. Matt didn’t make it past some of the physical exams, though, so he didn’t come with us when we were deployed. Through him I met Hunk and Lance and Pidge, and through Hunk I met Shay.”

 

_How long have you known Allura?_

 

Shiro went quiet for a minute. “We’re exes, actually. I met her about a year before I met my mate, and we dated for a short time, but it didn’t work out.”

 

_Would you ever date her again?_

“I don’t know.” Shiro shifted in his seat. “I’m not interested in her as a mate now. We’re just friends.”

 

Keith paused, hand hovering above the paper before he wrote out a decisive question. _Is there someone else you’re interested in?_

Shiro blinked. “Um. Well, yes. There is someone.”

 

Keith’s heart sank. This wasn’t the answer he wanted, but he should have known better. Of course Shiro wouldn’t be interested in him – he didn’t have any money to his name or any family to speak of. There were so many better options for Shiro and he just wasn’t one of them. His throat began to hurt and he felt like he was sinking, sinking down into a pit of which he would be unable to escape. No, _no_ , he was not going to cry in front of Shiro.

 

The alpha leaned forward, eyes wide with worry. “Are you-”

 

“Oy!” The door flew open and Lance strutted into the bakery. “Keith, do want to go to the market with me to… Hey, Shiro.”

 

“Lance,” Shiro stated, sitting back in his chair. Keith stiffened in fear as the scent of a new alpha reached his nose – no, it was just Lance wearing a different cologne. Shiro noticed it too; Keith could tell from the way he frowned as Lance approached. “Is the cologne a different brand?”

 

“Yes, actually,” Lance said with a sly smirk. “You should see how many heads turn when I wear this stuff. It’s a lot, Shiro.”

 

“I see.” Shiro’s expression softened in amusement. “Wooing the omegas, are you?”

 

“Of course,” Lance said, scooting over to where Keith sat, eying him pointedly. “Though there are some that just won’t give into my _natural charms_.”

 

Too close. Keith uttered a warning growl and Lance backed away towards Shiro.

 

The alpha laughed. “You can’t seduce all of them, Lance!”

 

“Are you kidding? They can’t resist me.” Lance blew a kiss towards Keith and Keith closed his eyes in exasperation. Why was this happening?

 

“I think this one can,” Shiro said, chuckling at Lance’s disappointment at Keith’s disregard for the kiss. “He’s picky, aren’t you, Keith?”

 

_Yes_ , Keith wrote. After all he’d been through, how could he not be picky?

 

The pup started to cry upstairs. Keith abruptly stood up and rushed to his room, automatically assuming the worst, but upon opening the door he saw that Rio was fine, just hungry. He quickly nursed the pup, knowing that Shiro and Lance were waiting downstairs, and he could hear the two bickering about something but he couldn’t quite make out the words.

 

Rio finished swiftly enough and Keith lowered his shirt before going back downstairs. The bump from carrying the pups was still present but he didn’t know how long it would be there before going back down. No one had been there to teach him, no one had helped, not even the visiting alpha.

 

He returned downstairs holding Rio in his arms. Both beta and alpha stayed quiet as he entered the room, not wanting to scare the pup with their arguing.

 

“Rio’s a cute one, isn’t he?” Shiro said, and Lance nodded. At least neither of them would be threats to the pup, and Keith knew this for certain. Of course, if either of them made a single move that could harm the pup, he would attack them with all he had. The pup had to be protected at all costs.

 

Though, he felt a sense of trust with Shiro and Lance. He couldn’t imagine either of them harming the pup. He wasn’t sure if he was comfortable with them holding the pup quite yet, but there was one way to test it, and to his shock, the question was asked before he could suggest it.

 

“Would you mind if I held Rio?” Shiro asked softly, and Keith looked up. Worried thoughts jumped across his mind and he pushed them away – he trusted Shiro, didn’t he?

 

Almost reluctantly, he helped Shiro hold the pup and then took a big step backward. It felt strange to watch the alpha holding _his_ pup, looking at the pup tenderly as if it were his own offspring.

 

Keith was surprised that Lance didn’t make a smartass comment while Shiro held the pup. If Lance could manage to keep his mouth shut, he might turn out to be a good friend.

 

Shiro dipped his head down toward the pup and Keith stiffened. What was he doing? Keith relaxed slightly when Rio giggled, and Shiro lifted his head, still staring at the pup.

 

Keith suddenly realized – he was letting the pup scent him.

 

His jaw dropped. Why was Shiro doing this? He was an alpha; he didn’t need to let the pup scent him at all. The pup would instinctively know by his general scent that he was an alpha and could be a threat. Letting the pup scent him was similar to what an omega would do – letting an alpha scent them was an act of submission. So why was Shiro doing it? Maybe Keith was just overthinking the situation. It was probably nothing.

 

He looked over at Lance. The beta seemed as stunned as he was, so maybe he _wasn’t_ overthinking it. He glanced again at Shiro.

 

The alpha looked happy. Happier than Keith had ever seen him, simply by being able to hold the pup. Even when Shiro had been over for dinners and whatnot, he’d never seemed so at ease as he was now.

 

A quiet rumble started in Shiro’s throat and worried that it was a growl, Keith stepped forward, ready to snatch his pup away from Shiro.

 

Shiro’s eyes met Keith’s, and the low crooning sound in his throat quieted completely.

 

“I’m sorry,” Shiro apologized immediately. “I just… I don’t know what came over me-”

 

“You miss your family, you dumbass,” Lance interrupted. “Of course the pup is going to remind you of it.”

 

Shiro opened and closed his mouth. “I’m… That’s…”

 

“It’s fine,” Lance said with a shrug. “But I’m going to head to the market now. I need to pick up some food.” Then, to Keith, he clicked his tongue and said, “I will see _you_ later.”

 

And with that, he left the bakery, abandoning Shiro with Keith.

 

“I’m sorry,” Shiro apologized again, trying to hand Rio back to him. Keith took the smiling pup back and looked Shiro in the eyes once more.

 

There was something there that he couldn’t quite place. Keith knew what he wanted it to be – affection. But it couldn’t be that. Shiro said he was interested in someone, but it couldn’t be Keith. The alpha just had so many other options, it was impossible that he would like Keith any more than he would like Hunk or Shay or any of his other friends.

 

Keith turned away. It wasn’t going to happen.

 

“Keith,” Shiro spoke softly.

 

The omega looked over his shoulder.

 

“I don’t know who hurt you in the past,” Shiro began, taking a step closer to Keith, “I hope you believe me when I say I’m not like them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank youuuuu for making it this far lol.
> 
> Chapter four may take a bit to get out but I'm working on it. 
> 
> Comment: Ohhhh Lance you flirt


	4. Tricks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello yes I am alive and have not abandoned this fic. I had a bad case of writer's block - plus work and a few vacations. 
> 
> So this chapter is half the length of the others because I had to exclude some things that will be included in the next chapter... if that makes sense.

Keith slowly turned around. What did Shiro mean by that?

 

He didn’t have time to dwell on the thought, because Shiro came closer, and before Keith knew what was happening Shiro’s hand was resting on his shoulder, then trailed to his neck and then chin, and Keith’s head was tipped up to look at the alpha.

 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Shiro said gently. An uneasy feeling spread through Keith’s veins, but flutters of excitement in his stomach kept him standing close to Shiro instead of fleeing. His fight-or-flight instincts didn’t know what to do, but he couldn’t stop staring into Shiro’s eyes, his own eyes wide with an emotion he couldn’t describe, and suddenly Shiro’s face was very close to his.

 

“May I give you a kiss?” the alpha asked, and Keith wasn’t sure he heard right but he nodded regardless, and at all once Shiro’s lips were pressed against his, soft yet dominant, and Keith closed his eyes.

 

This was different than before. The other alphas, the ones before, hadn’t kissed him like this. Their kisses were aggressive and rough, and this was the exact opposite.

 

Keith leaned into Shiro – the best he could while holding his pup.

 

“Wow, it finally happened.”

 

Keith whipped his head to the side, mortified. Hunk stood in the doorway, a huge grin plastered on his face.

 

“I was wondering when you two would figure it out,” Hunk continued, still grinning. “I didn’t expect to walk in on something, though.”

 

Heat rose to Keith’s face. This is _not_ what he wanted. At least Shiro was also blushing, but he was smiling too, strangely enough.

 

“You could’ve knocked, you know,” Shiro said.

 

Hunk made a face. “Yeah, I could have, but this is more interesting.”

 

“Sure it is,” Shiro responded, and to Keith’s horror, he softly kissed Keith’s neck.

 

“Stop it.” Hunk crossed the kitchen to the freezer. “I need to make dinner and I’d rather not have you two acting gross in my kitchen.”

 

Shiro laughed. “Okay, okay. Should I come back tomorrow?”

 

Hunk narrowed his eyes. “Depends – are you going to make out in my kitchen again?”

 

The alpha smirked. “Maybe.” He gave Keith one last kiss, on the cheek, before backing away. “I’ll come visit you tomorrow, okay?”

 

Keith nodded. Could his face get any redder?

 

Shiro and Hunk exchanged quick ‘goodbyes’ before Shiro left the bakery. It was then that Keith decided he should probably head upstairs to calm down, his heart fluttered, still nervous, but also very impatient about what all this meant. Walking up the stairs, he wondered – what did this mean? Shiro had kissed him. So the alpha was interested in him, too? What would happen now?

 

He gently placed Rio in his nest and wrapped the pup in blankets. The idea that Rio might end up having two parents was exciting, and the pup had no clue how lucky he would be if it turned out that way. He and Shiro could –

 

“– yes, I’m looking for a friend.”

 

Keith’s heart stopped for a moment.

 

“He’s an omega. He ran away from home a few years ago, and we’ve been searching for him ever since. He should be about this tall, with black hair and blue-grey eyes.”

 

No. How the hell could he have been found?

 

“His parents are worried sick, thinking of what he’d have to do to survive…”

 

Keith backed away from the door. He frantically searched the room, and his gaze rested on the small window – bingo. As quietly as he could, he slid the window open.

 

Rio. Could he even take the pup with him?

 

He heard heavy footsteps on the stairs and stared at the window. Hunk had believed the lie, and now they were coming for him. Keith bit his lip. Rio.

 

He’d have to leave his pup.

 

As quickly as he could, he climbed through the window and onto the roof below. Forcing his emotions aside, Keith ran forward, found a dip in the roof, and carefully but swiftly dropped down into the alleyway. If he could put enough distance between himself and the bakery, then he could circle back and-

 

“Where do you think you’re going?”

 

The visiting alpha rounded the corner in front of him and Keith stopped in his tracks. How had he…?

 

Smiling, the alpha snapped his fingered, and Keith heard a smooth _click_ behind him.

 

“Don’t turn around,” the alpha ordered. “If you do, I’ll order him to shoot. Now, omega, I’ll tell you what’s going to happen.”

 

Keith’s breath caught in his throat. How? How could the visiting alpha track him down like this?

 

“We’re going to walk together, omega. I’ll lead, you’ll follow me, and my friend will follow you. Any funny business, and he’ll shoot. Do you understand?”

 

They hadn’t found Rio. The pup was safe.

 

Keith nodded.

 

“Good. Shall we go, then?”

 

* * *

 

“I know you’re wondering how I found you, little omega. I figured you would leave your hiding spot eventually, and after our last encounter, I wasn’t surprised.”

 

He heard the alpha sigh.

 

“Finding you was a small annoyance, but now that I have you, I believe it was all worth it. It’s a shame I couldn’t find the pup, though. Did it die like the others?”

 

Keith growled the best he could with the gag in his mouth. The cold metal forced his jaw open – the alpha obviously didn’t use the gag to keep him quiet, he wouldn’t have talked anyway.

 

“Oh well. You’ll give me another pup, won’t you?”

 

Keith growled again and the alpha laughed.

 

“You’re so funny. How many pups do you want? Three? Five? Of course, they’ll all be alphas.”

 

The alpha’s hands were suddenly grabbing at his hair and Keith fought at the alpha, twisting and turning in his binds. And then he could see.

 

Grinning, the alpha stepped back, the blindfold in his hands, watching in amusement as Keith came to realize where he was.

 

His wrists were shackled to the stone wall and beneath him was a rug. No windows, a single door. A table was pushed in one of the far corners, a chair slid underneath it. Three lanterns illuminated the room, two hanging from the wall and the third placed on the table.

 

“I know it’s not much, but you’ll be living here from now on, unless you’re _especially_ good.”

 

Terror curled in Keith’s gut. He didn’t like this. Not at all. Not the room, not the bit, not the crazed look in the alpha’s eyes.

 

“Shh, don’t be scared,” the alpha purred, crouching beside him. He kissed the side of Keith’s neck. “I won’t hurt you too badly. Yet. So there’s no need to be frightened, is there?”

 

Keith shivered and the alpha traced his fingers to Keith’s waist, outlining the hem of his shirt before pressing his fingertips into Keith’s bare skin. Keith hissed at the alpha’s cold touch and the alpha’s hand travelled up his shirt.

 

“You never used to fight me like this, omega. What’s gotten into you?”

 

The alpha dug his nails into Keith’s chest and the omega drew in a deep breath, encouraging an amused laugh from the alpha.

 

“I noticed the scent of an alpha lingering on you. What would he think of this? Should I present you to him when I’m done using you?”

 

Shiro…

 

“What would he do, seeing you tied up and helpless?”

 

Keith shut his eyes. No, no, he didn’t want to think about that.

 

“Would he still want you, after seeing you used and thrown away? After seeing you for what you truly are?”

 

The alpha licked his lips.

 

“I’m going to have _so much_ fun with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, thank you for reading!
> 
> The next chapter (chapter 5) will be dark and not-fun. I will post warnings and whatnot, but this is a heads-up.


	5. Snowfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh geez I'm sorry this has taken so long. I actually decided to not make this chapter as dark as originally planned, but it's still gonna make u guys confused and angry. :P

Shiro looked up at the sky. Grey clouds blocked the sun’s warm rays, as they would for weeks to come. The year’s first snow hadn’t fallen yet, but as soon as the snowflakes touched the ground, it would be over a year since Keith’s disappearance.

 

He couldn’t really call it a ‘disappearance’, though – it was a kidnapping, simple as that. The alpha who haunted Keith had found him and stolen him, leaving Rio without his parent and shocking everyone who knew the omega. No one knew how the alpha had found him, or why.

 

If only he had been there. If he had stayed at the bakery for only a few more minutes, Keith would still be safe. He would have confronted the alpha and in the most formal way tell him to ‘fuck off’, and then Keith would be left alone. It was even worse that as soon as Shiro reached his own home that Pidge ran up to him, gasping and tears in her eyes, saying that Keith was _gone_ , that he had been _taken away_. And the guilt Hunk felt for allowing the alpha inside – how could Hunk have known the alpha’s identity? How could any of them have known that this alpha was the man who terrorized Keith?

 

Shiro took a shaky breath. The important thing was that Rio was safe. The pup was confused at first, unused to the scents of the others, wondering where his omega parent went, but Rio was more hungry than anything and it didn’t take long for the pup to grow accustomed to Hunk and Shay and Shiro. The pup had been vocal, too, uttering little sounds in an attempt to communicate, whether it be giggles of joy or crying tantrums or soft hums, and about one month ago, Rio decided it was time to talk.

 

It took all of them by surprise when the pup suddenly announced ‘NO’, followed by a fierce frown. After another week of coaxing, Rio agreed that he was ready to say ‘yes’ as well as ‘no’, which made things a bit easier. Then came the difficult part – Keith was gone. Naturally, Rio was too young to understand, but the pup kept _looking_ for his omega parent. He would be eager to meet strangers, scent them, and then ignore them completely when he realized they weren’t his parent. He would rest his head on Shiro’s chest and look at them out of the corner of his eye, but never try to interact with them. Rio would let all of Shiro’s close friends hold him and he would play with them, but when he was scared, he always looked to Shiro for comforting, and Shiro had a _bit_ of an idea that he was Rio’s preferred person, but apparently the pup held him in even higher regards – the first time Rio had looked him dead in the eyes and exclaimed ‘Da, da!’ had almost given Shiro a heart attack.

 

To be fair, it was a _happy_ heart attack. But when Rio continued to repeat the phrase around the others, Shiro knew for certain that it wasn’t accidental, which gave Shiro a new problem:

 

Although he would have loved to be, Shiro wasn’t Rio’s parent.

 

His gaze flicked to a couple and their pup walking across the street. The pair laughed as their daughter skipped between them, smiling, unaware of the grey world surrounding them and the dark skies above. One of the parents reached into the paper bag he carried and produced a brand-new pair of pink mittens, price tag still clipped to the fabric. The pup’s eyes widened and she squeaked a tiny ‘Thank-you!’ – both parents, pleased that she liked the gift, helped her put on the mittens – once wearing them, the pup beamed, proud that she had the privilege of showing off brand-new mittens – the pup fixed her scarf and glanced up at the clouds, her joy shifting into a frown as she realized that the clear blue skies were gone.

 

The sharp sound of a train whistle tore Shiro’s eyes away from the family. He could see a glimpse of the elevated tracks from where he stood on the side of the street; the rumbling of weight against the wooden support grew louder as the machine approached, black smoke spiraling above the buildings it passed, and in a half-second it had arrived. The metal wheels screamed as the brakes pressed down and the whistle shrieked again.

 

Someone brushed past him, obviously in a hurry, and Shiro stepped to the side. He glimpsed at a trio of female omegas as they walked, all young and fashionable in sparkling dresses, their hair short and decorated with feathered headbands. They were likely headed to a party, perhaps hosted by a celebrity or wealthy entrepreneur. He should ask them where they were headed, and maybe tag along… he could use a distraction.

 

He started walking. Where, he didn’t know. Each breath chilled his lungs and every exhale was a white mist. The sky grew darker, the public lights turned on, the roads he travelled seemed to grow smaller, tighter, as people flocked to the streets for nights of fun. Clubs, bars, private parties, everyone he walked by chatted about the latest events and trends, all spurred by the lure of fame and money.

 

Once in the thickest part of the crowd, Shiro made his way to one of the clubs, swiftly paying the fee to enter. The door closed behind him and the noise outside dulled to be replaced by soft notes from a saxophone.

 

Dim lighting cast shadows over the seats and tables, though a single spotlight focused on a central stage. The red curtains drawn closed, Shiro could only assume a show would start any time now.

 

Making his way to the bar, he ordered a drink and sat in the quietest corner. Several alphas lifted their heads to look at him when he crossed in front of them, but none of them bothered to voice their thoughts. More than a few were accompanied by omegas, who sat at their side, watching, but not speaking. Within a few minutes, a server brought his drink, and Shiro sipped the bitter liquid, absent-minded as the stage curtains were drawn open. A slender omega stepped forward, her blonde hair curled and secured with a glittering headband, and she began to sing.

 

All of the guests grew silent, watching her. She was undoubtedly a talented singer, but Shiro couldn’t feel any pull to her despite her beauty and voice. The servers, too – all were young and pretty and obedient and, like the other alphas, he _should_ feel some type of attraction to them. But he couldn’t.

 

Sighing, he closed his eyes. If he slept with one of them, maybe it would reignite something in him. What Lance always teased him about was _true_ , after all. He did want a family. He wanted Keith to – somehow – return, and then everything would go back to normal, and trying to connect with someone wouldn’t feel so strange.

 

“Excuse me,” one of the servers whispered, voice low to not disturb the other alphas. “Would you like another drink? Or any recommendations?”

 

Shiro blinked and glanced at the empty drink in his hand. “What are your most popular drinks?”

 

The server began rattling off the club’s most frequently bought drinks, and Shiro made the mistake of looking past her.

 

An omega stood with an alpha, both well-dressed and looking like they were ready to leave. The alpha wore a fine black tuxedo, facing the omega, who in turn donned a shimmering gold-and-crimson dress. The omega’s face was hidden by the figure of another alpha, but all three appeared to be politely talking.

 

“Sir?” The server looked confused.

 

Shiro motioned to the omega and two alphas. “Who are they?”

 

The server followed his gaze. “Oh, that’s the owner and his friend. The omega in red works here, but he’s close to the owner in, erm, private manners, so I wouldn’t try and flirt with him.”

 

“Him?”

 

The server laughed nervously. “Yes. What he’s wearing is… preferred by the owner. I don’t know enough about it to tell you more.”

 

Shiro stood. There was something off about the omega, something that made him want to investigate. He silently walked to the side of the room, nearing the door, to give them the false sense that he was going to leave.

 

“-told them that we were getting a new employee. Should be fine, they’re easy to train.”

 

“Like me, darling?”

 

The omega laughed quietly and Shiro carefully turned to see his face.

 

“You’ve had too much to drink, Keith.” The tuxedo alpha pulled Keith close against him and they kissed tenderly. “We should head upstairs; you’re becoming too flirty.”

 

It took everything in him to not approach the pair right then and snap at the alpha to leave Keith alone before embracing the omega, scenting him, asking him if he was alright.

 

It was shocking, because Keith looked to be alright.

 

He was smiling and laughing and chatting, completely unafraid of the two alphas. He looked like he’d gained weight in the last year, and if Shiro hadn’t known him, he’d say the omega had never struggled for a meal. His hair had been cut several inches shorter and there was a golden band with white feathers wrapped neatly around his head. The bump from his pups was gone, as if it had never been there. Keith acted as if it had never been there, as if he’d never had a pup, as if he were unaware of the reality of his life.

 

Shiro mouthed Keith’s name. He wanted the omega to look at him and notice him and not be blissfully unaware of the world around him…

 

The omega’s eyes scanned the lounge, resting on Shiro, recognizing, but confused. His brow furrowed and he murmured something to the alpha beside him before approaching the bar. Shiro’s heart leapt into his throat – Keith was getting closer, striding across the hardwood floor, to lean up against the wall right next to where he stood.

 

“You look familiar; Have we met before?” Keith asked, voice low so he wouldn’t be overheard.

 

“I – um – yes, but it’s very complex.” Shiro struggled to put together his response. Keith was so close, Shiro could smell the floral scent of omega perfume drifting from his neck. “You – your pup, Rio – do you not remember?”

 

Keith’s brow furrowed. “I don’t have a pup… I think you’re confusing me with someone else.”

 

“No! Keith, listen to me, please,” Shiro said desperately. The alphas were looking at them now, suspicion obvious on their faces. “Please remember. Hunk, Shay, Rio, and I. Rio, your sweet pup – we all miss you – Keith you just. You disappeared a year ago. How long have you been here?”

 

Keith glanced at the alphas. “I-I need to go.”

 

“Keith, please. How long have you been here?”

 

“Less than a year,” Keith said softly. “I don’t remember anything before that, but this is my life now. I have a fiancé, we’re getting married in the spring. I’ve never had a pup… I-I’ve never slept with anyone.”

 

“Keith, is everything alright?” the tuxedo alpha said, slowly approaching them. His cold eyes met Shiro’s and a defensive fire sparked in Shiro’s chest.

 

“Yes, darling,” Keith replied, an uneasy smile twitching on his lips. The alpha wrapped a hand around Keith’s waist and gently kissed his cheek, eyes narrowed at Shiro.

 

He _knew_. Fury burned through Shiro’s body. This alpha _knew_ about him, about them. He knew that Keith had forgotten, maybe he’d forced the omega to forget. Shiro gritted his teeth, and the alpha smirked.

 

“Alright, Keith, sweetheart.” The alpha took Keith’s hand. “Let’s head upstairs.”

 

Keith shot Shiro one last glance before turning and walking with the alpha to the back of the club. The pair disappeared through a door, and Shiro glared at it in silence, taking several minutes to recollect himself before abandoning the club for the freezing outside. A crisp snowflake landed on his cheek and he looked at the sky.

 

Winter had come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Idk when I will update because the school year has started again.... not that the summer did anything.... procrastinators unite...
> 
> EDIT: I drew a rough picture of Keith in the flapper dress but idk how/if I can upload it on here... If anyone knows, just comment.


	6. The Price to Pay (part one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part one of chapter six.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew a rough picture of Keith in his dress and need to put it somewhere for you guys to see. Fanart is welcome and appreciated by all, just make sure it's labeled to this fic. 
> 
> This is a half chapter because I can't get the whole chapter out - there will be wayyyy to many parts. As always, thank you for reading!!

“He was there, with an alpha,” Shiro began. Hunk’s brow furrowed.

 

“With the same alpha that took him?”

 

“Yes. They had the same scent. Keith wasn’t fighting though – I mean, he didn’t _know_ that anything was wrong. He didn’t remember Rio or me, or you, or that he’d been living on the streets. And he _spoke_.”

 

“He talked?” Hunk said, dumbfounded. “He never talked to us.”

 

Shiro bit his lip. “Yeah, he talked. Never sounded like he hadn’t. I didn’t realize how shocked I was to hear his voice – he didn’t sound like I thought he would have.”

 

Hunk rubbed his temples. “Okay, what is that supposed to mean?”

 

“He didn’t… sound like an omega. Stereotypically. He wasn’t all soft and meek and quiet. He sounded a bit bossy, if I’m being honest. And stubborn.” An omega worth arguing with, Shiro supposed. “He acted like he was from the upper class and looked it. Clean, hair trimmed, fucking _glowing_.”

 

“Do you know if the alpha is-”

 

“Hey, guys!” Lance chirped, striding into the room. He read their faces and frowned. “What’s wrong with you guys?”

 

Hunk glanced at his alpha friend before responding. “It’s Keith. Shiro found him.”

 

“Keith!” Lance exclaimed happily. “How is he? Is he here?”

 

“No, he’s with his kidnapper,” Shiro said, not bothering to sugarcoat the news.

 

“ _What._ ” Lance stopped in his tracks. He waited for Shiro to add something, but the alpha said nothing more. “Shiro, you didn’t take him back here?”

 

“I couldn’t. I couldn’t, Lance.” Guilt wavered in Shiro’s stomach. “He didn’t know me. I would have, but he didn’t remember anything about me or Rio or living here. Hell, he thinks he’s never had a pup.”

 

“Holy fuck,” Lance said. Silence fell upon the trio.

 

Shiro had wanted to take Keith with him, but if he had, he would’ve been just as bad as the other alpha. He would have been the kidnapper who tore Keith from his new life, from those feelings of safety and comfort… But the alpha was evil, and Shiro knew. Would it be better for Keith to be home here, or home there? Would Keith hate him if he brought him back to the bakery, back to all the bad memories of pain and loss?

 

The front door opened and Allura entered the bakery, small Rio in her arms. The pup’s face brightened when he saw Shiro and joyfully cried, “Da-da!”.

 

Shiro offered the pup a warm smile and Allura placed the pup on the floor about a yard away from Shiro. Rio stood on wobbling legs, still grinning, and slowly took a step forward, and then another, and then another, until he was scooped up by Shiro and littered with kisses.

 

“He’s a fast learner,” Allura said, brushing the snow off her shoulders. “He’s already figured out how to say ‘bye-bye’, just from watching Coran and I at the market.”

 

“You’re so clever, aren’t you?” Shiro cooed to the pup, and Rio giggled. “Such a grown-up little pup.”

 

He went to take Rio upstairs to his crib while Hunk explained to Allura what had happened to Keith. As Shiro suspected, she was absolutely livid.

 

“How dare he! How _dare_ -”

 

“Rio’s trying to sleep,” Shiro interrupted, walking downstairs. “And I know. I feel the exact same way. But I don’t know what we can do about it.”

 

“I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” Allura growled. “We’ll storm the place, weapons out, and get Keith back. Or we’ll report them to the police. Or we’ll find that alpha and knock him out. Shiro, the options are endless.”

 

“Yes, and what’s Keith going to think?” Shiro shot back. “He thinks he belongs there and looks the part. He was laughing and smiling, Allura, and I’ll be damned if I force that from him.”

 

“Well, Shiro, what do you want to do? Leave him there?” Allura argued, a snarl rising in her throat.

 

Shiro slammed his hand on the table. “Yes, Allura! If he’s happy, then we need to fucking leave him there!”

 

Allura opened and closed her mouth. Hunk and Lance watched, not wanting to get between the two alphas.

 

“You want to leave him with his abuser?” Allura asked, quieter now, but fury still shone in her eyes. “You want to leave him with the alpha who tortured him?”

 

“No. Yes.” Shiro struggled to say. “I want him to be happy. Even if it means that he’s with that alpha, if he isn’t being hurt, as long as he’s happy – it’s all I want.”

 

“That’s… not bad, Shiro,” Lance said hesitantly. “You want the best for him. We all do. But we don’t know what that is.”

 

Again, silence.

 

“I’m going to the police station to do some investigating,” Allura announced, tightening her coat. “I’ll be back.”

 

The door slammed behind her and Shiro crossed the room to grab his own coat.

 

“I’m going home.”

 

“Shiro…” Hunk began, but the alpha shook his head.

 

“No. I need to go home.”

 

* * *

 

 

Damien’s tongue flicked into his mouth, tracing his teeth, and warmth spread throughout Keith’s body. The alpha’s hands on his hips, the crisp sheets, the heat shared between them… it felt amazing, all of it.

 

“Are you sure you want this?” Damien panted, nipping Keith’s ear. The omega shuddered at his touch.

 

“Yes. Yes. You know I love you.”

 

Damien lowered his head to Keith’s chest and started working elsewhere, drawing a moan from the omega.

 

“D-Damien,” Keith gasped. “It’s – I’ve never…”

 

“Shh, it’s okay, darling,” Damien crooned. “You love me, right? Trust me.”

 

Keith nodded and Damien’s tongue went back to work, teasing his nipples and drawing another gasp from Keith’s lips. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled that one handsome alpha from earlier, the one who had dared speak to him in front of Damien. If what he said was right, then Keith had never experienced sex before. And how could he have, when everything with Damien felt so new?

 

After all, the alpha had rescued him from his torturer and cared for him for the last few months. Damien had fed him and bathed him and cleaned up all his wounds. Everything Damien had done was out of kindness, not because he was evil or manipulative. Keith didn’t know how anyone could ignore the scars on his thighs and abdomen, but Damien didn’t seem to care one bit.

 

“What are you thinking about?” Damien asked, pausing.

 

“Oh, um. I’m just nervous. And I have a lot on my mind.” Keith replied. It wasn’t all a lie.

 

The alpha smiled gently. “It’s okay, Keith. We don’t need to rush in to anything. Will you tell me what’s on your mind?”

 

Keith took a shaky breath. “The alpha from earlier. The one armed one. He told me that I had a pup named Rio and that he and a group of others were my friends. He was probably lying, but it freaked me out. What if he’s right, though? You know I don’t remember anything from a long time ago, so couldn’t he be telling the truth?”

 

“Oh, Keith,” Damien said, sitting up next to him. “It’s alright. You know he’s lying – he could be trying to steal you for himself. It’s okay, I can make sure he’s not allowed back into the lounge.”

 

“Don’t,” Keith said before he could stop himself.

 

“Don’t?” the alpha echoed. “So you would want to see that asshole again? Knowing that he flirted with you and wanted to ruin us?”

 

“I – um – no. He was just interesting to talk to,” Keith hurried to say. “He seemed to know a lot, um, he was in the military, I think. A veteran from the last war. He lost his arm in battle after it got infected.”

 

“How horrible,” Damien murmured, kissing Keith’s neck. “Speaking of things like that is no place for an omega, darling. It must have made you sick to your stomach, thinking about all that violence and war.”

 

Keith could only nod.

 

“I’ll buy you some more books and we can get tickets to the next automobile show. You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

 

“I would,” Keith responded. He enjoyed looking at the new automobiles and motorcycles. Damien planned to buy a brand new one, Keith knew, for rides through the countryside.

 

“I hear ice skating is popular around these months because the lake freezes,” Damien added. “We should go. I’ll teach you how to ice skate.”

 

“Thank you,” Keith said quietly. Why had Damien switched subjects from the other alpha so quickly? He wasn’t sure, but he knew better than to bring it up.

 

“We can go shopping for some proper winter clothes. You need a new coat and boots for the snow.”

 

“I already have a few pairs, right?” Keith asked, sure he had the clothes already in his closet.

 

“Oh Keith, you don’t. If only your memory were better…” Damien kissed his cheek. “Should I make you a drink? The memory tea that the doctor gave me to give to you?”

 

Keith snuggled into the bed. “No thanks. I’m just going to head to sleep.”

 

“Are you sure? You really don’t want any?”

 

“No,” Keith replied, hoping Damien would let it drop. And to his surprise, the alpha did.

 

He closed his eyes. The other alpha… Shiro. Rio, a pup, his pup, his sweet, blue-eyed child…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh no is it the tea *sarcastic gasp*
> 
> Damien you jerk. No, it's not Lotor or a Galra. It's just Damien. Poor Damien, we hate you.


	7. The Price to Pay (part two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've all been waiting for... LOL JK
> 
> This chapter is a bit dark my good fellows, therefor I am putting a TRIGGER WARNING on here. You don't need to read this if you don't have any triggers but this chapter contains ((Domestic Abuse)) so please do not read if if will have a negative affect on you. I will put a summary in the chapter notes at the end.

Keith awoke with a gasp. It wasn’t real. His dream couldn’t have been real.

 

It was about his alpha, Damien. But it couldn’t have been Damien, because Damien would have never done something like that to him.

 

Keith ran his fingers through his hair. There was no way Damien would force himself on Keith… there was no way.

 

Keith shook his head. What was he thinking? Damien would never hurt him – they loved each other.

 

“Keith, darling, are you alright?”

 

Keith glanced at his to-be mate. The alpha leaned toward him, worry filling his eyes, muscles tense – but when he moved to embrace Keith, the omega flinched away.

 

“I-I’m sorry,” Keith said quickly, when the alpha’s brow rose in question. “I, um. Bad dream.”

 

“Are you afraid of me?” Damien asked. Keith lowered his gaze and the alpha repeated his question, a bitter edge rising in his voice. “Why are you afraid of me?”

 

“I had a nightmare, I’m sor-”

 

“What is this about?” Damien’s voice rose. He glared at Keith accusingly. “Is this about that other alpha?”

 

“No, it’s not, I swear,” Keith said desperately. Damien was too angry; he wasn’t usually like this. “I had a nightmare about you, and please, I just want to be left alone right now.”

 

Damien’s palm smacked his cheek and Keith gasped in pain and shock.

 

“How _dare_ you say that,” the alpha growled. “After _everything I’ve done for you_ , and you say you’re _afraid_ of me?”

 

“I’m not afraid of you,” Keith whispered. He lifted his hand to gently touch his stinging skin.

 

“You had a nightmare about me, and nightmares are fear. I’ve done everything for you – given up everything for you – you still act this way.” The alpha bared his teeth and Keith shrank back farther. “Am I not good enough for you? Is that other alpha more amiable than me?”

 

He grabbed Keith’s wrist and the Keith yelped as the alpha’s nails dug into his skin.

 

“Are you cheating on me, darling?” Damien mocked, a twisted smile resting on his lips. He pressed his lips against Keith’s in a forceful kiss and a fearful whine escaped Keith’s throat. “Is that other alpha pleasing you? Are you letting him fuck you senseless, like how I want to do to you? Are you still a virgin, you fucking slut?”

 

“I-I’m not cheating on you,” Keith begged. “Please, listen to me, I’m not doing anything, I’m loyal to you-”

 

Damien’s teeth grazed his soft skin and he shrieked. The alpha pulled their bodies together and a choked sob escaped Keith’s throat as Damien wrapped his hands around Keith’s neck and began to squeeze.

 

“Damien, please-”

 

“You’re a fucking cheater,” Damien snarled. The fury in his body was apparent now, from his blood-lusting brain all the way down to the tips of his fingers digging into Keith’s neck. “You lied when you said you loved me.”

 

“D-Damien.” His vision began to blur and he struggled to draw air into his lungs. Keith weakly twisted in the alpha’s tight grip. “P-Please, stop…”

 

His vision has almost blackened completely when the alpha threw him to the floor. With a desperate gasp, Keith drew in a breath of air, and something cracked in the air. He didn’t dare look at his fiancé as Damien brought his belt down on Keith’s side, hard enough to bruise the skin. And again. And again.

 

Keith eventually stopped whimpering. It hurt, it hurt so much, but the pain didn’t feel entirely unfamiliar. There was something in his past that he couldn’t remember, but he wasn’t a stranger to the stinging, burning feeling of being whipped.

 

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, Damien had lit a cigarette and was lounging on the loveseat in the corner. Silently, Keith forced himself to his feet, wincing from the fresh bruises. Damien said nothing as Keith grabbed a long coat and slippers from the closet, and didn’t stop him as he betrayed the apartment for the city.

 

* * *

 

 

Shiro awoke to the sound of a knock on his door. Groaning, he looked at the clock. A few hours past midnight. Sighing to himself, he walked down the corridor to his front door, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

 

“Hello,” he yawned, opening the front door. Instant awakeness flushed the exhaustion out of him when his gaze landed on Keith, shivering in an oversized coat, standing in the snow in soaking-wet slippers. “What’re you-”

 

“Please let me in,” Keith interrupted, though meekness traced his voice. “It’s very cold – I’ve had a very rough night, Shiro.”

 

Wordless, Shiro opened the door wider so Keith could slip inside, noticing the streaks of tears down his cheeks reflecting in the dim streetlight. Keith looked around the inside of the corridor, peeking into the various rooms, and started towards one of the couches.

 

“Keith, what happened?” Shiro asked, blatantly worried.

 

The omega curled up on the couch, pulling one of the blankets over himself and burying his face in the soft fabric.

 

“Keith?”

 

“He hit me,” Keith murmured, a barely audible statement. Shiro heard a small, muffled sob and his heart hurt instantly.

 

Approaching the couch, he knelt in front of Keith. “Are you alright, Keith?”

 

Keith shook his head – no.

 

“What can I do?” Shiro asked softly. He wanted to hold the omega, to comfort him and croon to him and make sure that everything was as it should be.

 

“Just… sit next to me.”

 

Shiro did as he said and Keith shifted in his spot to lean against the alpha. Shiro could only wonder why Keith’s alpha had chosen to hit him; he doubted Keith had done anything worthy of the physical abuse. The thought made him livid. Keith had done absolutely nothing to deserve this type of treatment, especially from someone he trusted.

 

“How did you find my house?” Shiro asked, suddenly aware that Keith shouldn’t have known where he lived.

 

“Um,” Keith began, lifting his head and yawning. “I asked someone. Another alpha. She was waiting outside the police station. She told me where you lived and pointed me this way.”

 

“That must have been Allura,” Shiro mused. Thank goodness for Allura. “I’m glad she told you.”

 

“Mhm.” Keith yawned again.

 

“I have a guest room if you want to sleep here.” It’s better than sleeping with that asshole, Shiro thought to himself. “I’ll make breakfast for you in the morning.”

 

“Can I lock the door?” Keith asked cautiously.

 

“Yes,” Shiro said. “Of course.”

 

It occurred to him that Keith might want a hot bath and clothes to change into.

 

“My clothes will be too big for you, but I have a robe you can use, if you want to, and if you’d like a bath I can start running the water.”

 

“I don’t need a bath,” Keith said softly. “But thank you. And I will take up your offer on a robe.”

 

Shiro stood up and helped Keith to his feet. The omega struggled to stand – he’d been searching a long time for Shiro – and Shiro was half-tempted to carry him to the guest room. He didn’t think Keith would appreciate it, though, and stayed silent as the pair walked into the guest room, Keith immediately collapsing on the plush bed.

 

The omega pulled off the coat and his shirt lifted slightly, revealing to Shiro what he hadn’t mentioned. Large, ugly bruises traveled from his chest to his waist, darkening the skin. Keith yanked his shirt down to cover up the marks, glancing at Shiro briefly to see if he had noticed.

 

“Keith… did he do that to you?”

 

Keith ignored him and climbed into the bed, covering himself from head to toe with blankets.

 

“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine, but let me take a look, okay?” He half expected Keith to comply. But the omega didn’t _want_ to comply, and instead uttered a small huff before turning on his side.

 

“I want you to tell me about the pup,” Keith said.

 

Shiro blinked. “Rio?”

 

“Naturally. Tell me about him.” He sounded stubborn and hurt and confused all at once and Shiro couldn’t help but feel for him – Keith’s life had been one trial after another, and yet no end was in sight.

 

“Rio is perfect,” Shiro started. “He’s very smart, very cute, and he’s just learning how to walk. His face lights up when he sees you, and his eyes widen when you show him new things, and he’s curious and loving and wonderful. Even when he cries and throws tantrums, he’s always forgiving afterwards, and I love his emotions and all he does.”

 

“Do you wish he were your own?” Keith asked.

 

“Without a doubt,” Shiro said, without thinking. He began to apologize for his claiming of the pup but Keith interrupted.

 

“I want to meet him, to see if I… as you said, remember.”

 

Shiro’s heart jumped. Keith wanted to meet Rio! Nothing could be better. If there was one thing that could bring Keith’s memories back, it was his pup.

 

“We can go and see him tomorrow,” Shiro said, trying to tone down the excitement in his voice. “For now, I’ll let you sleep.”

 

“Alright.” Keith moved slightly under the blankets. “Good night, Shiro.”

 

“Good night, Keith.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary for people who didn't read this: Keith awakes from a nightmare about Damien and Damien reacts poorly to Keith's explanation, accusing him of cheating and 'betraying' their relationship. Damien then proceeds to beat Keith and when it is over, Keith leaves the apartment to seek out Shiro. Shiro welcomes Keith into his home (Allura pointed Keith in the right direction from the police station). Shiro sees the marks on Keith from Damien and asks the omega about it, but Keith doesn't wish to discuss it. The chapter ends with Keith agreeing to see Rio and he and Shiro saying 'goodnight' to one another, Keith sleeping in the guest room. ((A/N: The last half of this chapter is mostly safe - it doesn't describe much of the scene itself in detail, so if you want to read about Keith and Shiro interacting, it should be fine.))
> 
> THANKS FOR READING, PALS.


	8. Break the Ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my little writing hellhole. This chapter will have some NSFW stuff in it, kinda like usual but more so.

_Shiro._

_Please wake up._

_Shiro!_

The alpha groaned and rolled over. The sun couldn’t have risen yet, but already he was being woken up. The unpleasant scent of fear registered and his eyes opened, not expecting Keith’s face to be inches from his own.

 

“Keith, what’re you doing?” he grumbled, exhaustion obvious in his voice. Keith backed away from his bed, head lowered.

 

“I-I’m sorry,” he hurried to say. Yawning, Shiro sat up, and Keith shrank away even more, moving to the farthest corner of the room.

 

“Are you okay?” Shiro’s brow furrowed. “You – why are you so scared?”

 

The omega wouldn’t make eye contact with him. That wasn’t a good sign.

 

“I, um.” Keith’s gaze kept wandering around the bedroom, looking everywhere but at Shiro. “I’m sorry for waking you up. I’ll go back to the room now.”

 

Keith ran to the door and very softly closed it. Shiro heard Keith’s footsteps as he ran down the hall, and he pushed his hair out of his face and sighed. This was not a good way to start the day.

 

Slowly, he got out of bed, making sure to make enough noise so Keith could hear he was getting up. He slipped into his robe and started towards Keith’s room, pausing before knocking, considering if it was a good idea or not to enter.

 

“Keith?”

 

No answer. He knocked on the door and pushed it open slightly.

 

There, huddled in the corner next to the window, cloaked in the bed’s comforter. Keith’s violet eyes stared at him from across the room, stared at his _feet_ , dropping lower as Shiro walked toward him.

 

“Are you alright?” Shiro knelt in front of him, resisting the urge to brush Keith’s hair out of his face. “Keith. What’s wrong?”

 

“Alpha, I’m sorry,” Keith murmured. “I shouldn’t have woken you up.”

 

“No – it’s okay. You’re just acting really strange. It’s concerning.”

 

“Don’t be concerned,” Keith whispered. “You - you’re an _alpha_. You don’t have any reason to be concerned.” Keith shifted in his spot, as if he were considering something. “I-If you want me to do anything, order me, alpha.”

 

“Tell me what’s wrong, Keith,” Shiro said, moving to get closer to the omega. Keith’s body stiffened and his eyes widened and Shiro suddenly knew that moving at all had been the wrong step to take, because Keith practically fell against the floor, laying on his uninjured side, with his legs spread to present to Shiro what he assumed every alpha was after and his head tilted back to show his neck, entire body showing that he was submitting completely to this alpha. A small whine escaped Keith’s throat when Shiro didn’t react – the alpha _couldn’t_ react; he didn’t know what to do or what to say, let alone prove his dominance to Keith, an omega who hadn’t expected him to be so shocked by his behavior. Keith’s soft breaths and whines made Shiro swallow and turn his head away – No, no, no.

 

“Why are you acting like this?” he managed to say. The omega only whined. “Keith, please…”

 

“Alpha…” Keith wet his lips and glanced at Shiro nervously. “I’m sorry. Please…”

 

Shiro tugged off his robe and tossed it over Keith. The omega watched him with worried eyes as he stood up. “I have an idea of what you want me to do but I’m not going to do it.”

 

“Am I not good enough for you to – I’ll be better, I promise, alpha,” Keith said, rising. “I’m sorry. I just need… I need you to knot-”

 

“I’m not going to do that,” Shiro interrupted. “Not when you’re like this. Keith, I care about you, but you’re not acting like yourself at all. I don’t know if letting you in was even the right choice, or agreeing to take you to see Rio. You were happy with Damien and I essentially fucked that up, so no, I’m not going to take advantage of you while you’re in this state.”

 

Keith was quiet for a minute. “Please, then… just hold me, Shiro.”

 

“Hold you?”

 

“Yes, in a bed.” He sounded determined. “Keep me safe.”

 

“Like cuddling?” Shiro asked, confused. Why did Keith need to phrase it that way?

 

The omega nodded and climbed onto the bed, waiting for Shiro to join him. The alpha took a deep breath before joining Keith under the blankets, where the omega snuggled up against him, barely audible purrs humming in his chest. He felt warm, almost too warm, and realization bloomed in Shiro’s mind.

 

“Are you about to go into heat?”

 

The purrs grew a tiny bit louder. “I think so, alpha. This will be my first heat in a long time.”

 

“You’ve never been in heat since… You don’t know what to do.” So you improvise, Shiro thought. You act the part of an omega in pre-heat. “With Damien, did you…?”

 

“No.” Keith yawned. “Like I said. This will be my first heat in a long time. I-I didn’t know how you would react because I don’t know how… aggressive you are, as an alpha. If you had decided a little bit ago to, you know, I wouldn’t have fought you.”

 

“That’s not very comforting,” Shiro said, and Keith laughed.

 

“No, I guess it isn’t.”

 

Shiro placed his hand on Keith’s side, momentarily forgetting about the bruises, and the omega winced at his touch. “Oh god, I’m sorry,” he stammered, yanking his hand back. “You – do you want painkillers or anything?”

 

Keith shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I mean, it hurts a lot, yes, but I think I’ve had worse. Yesterday it was all numb but now it’s… fiery and aches. But I’ll be fine.”

 

“Are you sure you don’t want anything?” Shiro asked, and then muttered, “Believe me, I have way too many painkillers.”

 

“I don’t want anything,” Keith said. He peered at Shiro, gaze flicking from his eyes to his jaw to his lips. Shiro’s entire body stiffened as Keith leaned forward, brow furrowed as if he were thinking very hard about something, and the omega dipped his head to nip Shiro’s neck. The alpha practically jumped when Keith’s teeth brushed against his skin and when he felt Keith’s hot, wet tongue tasting him, he decided it was time to stop.

 

“What are you doing?” Shiro tried to move away, but Keith kept their bodies tangled together.

 

“Sh.” Keith held Shiro’s neck with one hand and kept the other wrapped around his chest as he nibbled at Shiro’s neck, gently sucking and tasting Shiro’s skin. Shiro’s breath caught in his throat as Keith bit down harder, almost drawing blood.

 

“You need to tell me what you’re doing.”

 

“Somethin’,” Keith said, voice muffled. A shudder ran through his body and he whined. “I want to kiss you.”

 

“Keith, believe me, you don’t want me,” Shiro said. Keith looked at him, puzzled, and Shiro sighed. “There’s so many better options, of more… fit alphas.”

 

“You are my better option,” Keith declared. “And I don’t care that you only have one arm. You can still _think_ and _feel_ , so I don’t see why it’s an issue.”

 

“It’s an issue for me,” Shiro argued. “I can’t fight, I can’t physically defend you. I can’t hold you like other alphas would.”

 

Keith grew quiet. “It’s not those attributes that I find attractive in you. It’s how you are to me, how kind and caring you are. I could care less about your looks, but you are very beautiful to me, Shiro.”

 

Now it was Shiro’s turn to react. He opened his mouth but couldn’t say anything, just stared at Keith, whose face swiftly turned bright pink.

 

“I, um,” the alpha began. “I didn’t think this would happen.”

 

“I want to remember everything, good and bad,” Keith said, a small smile curling on his lips. “I want to remember who I was before, who I was with you.”

 

“Are you sure? I mean, I – you - we don’t know what will happen, or if you will remember, or if-”

 

Keith interrupted him with a kiss. “Stop worrying.”

 

Shiro cupped Keith’s face with his hand. How could this omega be so sweet? After everything he had been through, and yet…? Shiro kissed him softly. Keith’s purrs grew louder and Shiro’s heart wanted to burst – here he was, with this omega he’d known for such a short and dear time, kissing each other and showing uncontained affection. It was different from the Keith he’d first met – this Keith wasn’t shy and meek, but instead rather outspoken, yet it was still _Keith_.

 

The omega shivered. The scent of heat was stronger now, more obvious, and they paused in kissing.

 

“Thank you,” Keith panted, breaths short. “For being who you are.”

 

Shiro gently pressed the skin at the base of Keith’s neck – how badly he wanted to bite and claim the omega as his mate. Keith would reciprocate, he knew, but now just wasn’t the time. Not until Keith got him memory back.

 

They laid in bed in almost silence, save for light breaths and purrs, and Shiro closed his eyes. Keith snuggled next to him, warm and feeling safe in his pre-heat. It was a time when omegas were more likely to be endangered, but Keith was completely relaxed in his presence. He didn’t know what was going through Keith’s mind, but at least the omega trusted him enough to lay with him until their breaths faded to one and their minds gave in to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Shiro whispered, and Keith slowly blinked awake. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, groaning at the idea of waking up. “We slept in late – it’s almost ten.”

 

Keith huffed and Shiro sighed as the omega wriggled back beneath the blankets, relishing in the idea of going back to sleep. His skin felt even hotter than earlier and Shiro wouldn’t have been surprised if he was going through the first cycle of his heat.

 

“Should we bring Rio here?” he asked the omega. “I know you’re uncomfortable right now. We don’t have to leave if you don’t want to.”

 

“Yes, that would be good,” Keith said. A small whine escaped his throat and feelings to _protect_ surged through Shiro’s veins. Keith must have noticed because he slowly blinked and rolled onto his back, and the scent of heat grew even stronger. “This is the first cycle I’ve had in months and it feels very strange.”

 

“Good strange or bad strange?”

 

Keith licked his lips. “Needy strange.”

 

Shiro knew what he referred to. Omega biology was always taught in school, but experiencing it firsthand would be something new. After all, he’d only ever dated alphas and betas, neither of which went through heats but one of which attracted strange glances in his direction.

 

“I, um,” Shiro started, and Keith looked at him. “I know what I know through the military and friends, but not firsthand… You should know, I’ve never been with an omega.”

 

He could have sworn Keith’s jaw dropped. “Never?”

 

“Never anything more than kissing, and you were my first kiss with an omega.”

 

Keith took Shiro’s hand. The alpha watched as Keith brought his hand to his mouth and started sucking on his fingers. He tried to draw his hand away but Keith kept a tight grasp on his wrist, keeping him trapped as warm, wet tongue traced his skin, sucking and teasing.

 

“Keith, why are you – _ah_.”

 

One of the omega’s hands had travelled to the front of Shiro’s pants to rub his hardening cock. Shiro bucked his hips – God, it had been too long. Nimble fingers pulled the hem of his pants down and Shiro leaned back as Keith climbed on top of him, still tracing his fingers with his tongue. The omega rolled his hips, gasping at the friction between their bodies, and Shiro moaned as Keith started to tease the head of his cock with his fingertips.

 

“You don’t have to do this.”

 

“I want to do this.” Keith released Shiro’s hand and pulled off the rest of their clothes before continuing to roll his hips, gasping each time the heads of their cocks rubbed together. Hot slick dripped between the omega’s legs, proving just how willing Keith’s body was to be fucked, and Keith was already straddling the alpha.

 

Completely hard, Shiro watched as Keith’s pants grew louder with every thrust of his hips. He wasn’t even inside the omega, simply rubbing their cocks together, and yet Keith’s touch felt amazing. Brief thoughts of ‘Should he be doing this?’ crossed Shiro’s mind, but with every bit of his body screaming _yes_ , it was difficult to convince himself that he should wait longer. _But Keith was beautiful_. Riding him, panting and whining and body entirely exposed and surrendered to his instincts, gasping as Shiro started to thrust in rhythm with the movement of his hips. They came together to kiss, Keith’s tongue exploring the inside of his mouth, and Shiro felt Keith’s body stiffen as the omega climaxed.

 

“ _Shiro_ ,” the omega moaned, and that was all it took for the alpha to orgasm, hot seed splashing against his abdomen. Keith passionately kissed him, coming down from his own high, and the knot at the base of Shiro’s cock swelled in Keith’s hands.

 

“Fuck, _Keith_ ,” Shiro managed to say. The omega gazed at him affectionately and purred when Shiro moved to kiss the side of his neck. He allowed himself to graze his teeth over Keith’s soft skin, slightly applying pressure until Keith’s purrs transformed into a moan.

 

“Shiro, please,” Keith begged. He tilted his head back to give the alpha more access. “Mark me. Please. I want to be with you.”

 

Shiro considered it – right there, directly above Keith’s collarbone would be the perfect place to mark him, given that it could be covered up but just as easily revealed.

 

“Do it. Draw blood, mark me.” Keith pressed against him, and Shiro made his decision.

 

* * *

  

The doorbell rang and Shiro crossed the hall to open the door. Allura greeted him, Rio in her arms. The pup, seeing Shiro, smiled and held out his arms, prompting Shiro to take him from Allura.

 

“Good morning, Allura,” he said to the other alpha, and then to the infant, “Good morning, pup.”

 

“Good morning. Keith is here?” Allura asked. Of course, she wanted to get straight to the point.

 

“Yes, he’s waiting in the living room.” Shiro turned to lead her down the hallway. “We’ve had, um, recent developments. He’s in heat.”

 

“I know,” Allura said, wrinkling her nose. “I can smell it on you. You two didn’t, er, _do_ anything, did you?”

 

Shiro kept his mouth shut. He wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by that, but she would find out in second, as they rounded the corner to see Keith, patiently waiting on the couch. The omega’s eyes widened when he saw the pup and he practically leapt to his feet.

 

“Give him to me,” Keith ordered, and Shiro handed him Rio without hesitation.

 

The two alphas watched as Keith stared at the quiet pup in his hands. Rio scented him, as the pup always did, and then giggled, breaking the silence with bubbles of laughter. Keith’s lips parted as if he were about to say something, but then he stopped, and looked at Shiro despairingly. Forming tears in his eyes wet his eyelashes and streaked down his cheeks.

 

“I know this is my pup,” he said, voice shaking. “But I don’t remember anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading! (And putting up with my irregular posting schedule!) I'm sorry I'm an evil author but I can't help it... <3


	9. Growing Warmer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finals are coming up so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted. As always, thanks for reading!! Please enjoy this NSFW chapter. 
> 
> WARNING: this chapter had NSFW content but if you're like me then ignore this warning and just read it in public

“Why don’t I remember anything?” Keith cried. “Why can’t I – he’s _mine_ Shiro, I know that, so why can’t I remember?”

 

“It’s okay,” Shiro comforted, voice shifting into an alpha croon. “Keith, it’s okay.”

 

“It’s not, it’s _not_ okay. I-I can’t – I can’t _remember_.” Keith sobbed, holding Rio close to his body. “I want to _know_ , I want to _remember_ , even just a tiny detail, I _can’t_ -”

 

“It’s okay.” Shiro embraced him. “Even if you don’t remember, I love you.”

 

Keith’s cries abruptly stopped. “What? You can’t-”

 

“Keith, _I love you_.”

 

The omega rubbed his eyes and breathed in a shaky breath. “Why didn’t you say it sooner?”

 

“That I love you?” Shiro kissed his cheek. “I didn’t know for myself. I think… I was trying not to fall in love.”

 

“Why didn’t you mark me?” Keith asked softly. His gaze flicked to Shiro’s face, searching for the answer. “Y-You should have.”

 

“I would never do it without knowing you love me back,” Shiro said truthfully. “And in that moment, I was questioning myself. I wasn’t ready.”

 

“But you are now?” The scent of heat began to radiate from Keith, meaning he was already about to go into another cycle.

 

“Yes.”

 

“I love you, Shiro.”

 

Warmth spread through Shiro’s body at the phrase. He should have expected it, but hearing it now and knowing it was real was something different entirely. Keith would want to be marked, and having Keith as his mate… Shiro’s mind began to swirl. They would live in his home with Rio, Keith happy and away from Damien. If the alpha came after them – and Shiro suspected he would – they had Allura, who Shiro knew would destroy Damien in any verbal or physical fight.

 

Allura cleared her throat and they both turned to face her. “Now that that’s settled, we have another matter to discuss.”

 

Shiro started to say something about wanting to deal with Damien later but Allura interrupted him.

 

“You need a crib and to child-proof this house,” she said, a subject Shiro hadn’t thought she would bring up. “But for now, he’ll be fine sleeping with you, Keith. Shiro will give you extra blankets to nest with, if you so desire. I’m going to go shopping right now for some more supplies.”

 

“You don’t need to do that,” Shiro said, but she shook her head.

 

“Yes, I do. I’ve been doing some investigating, and I think it’s better that you two officially became mates as soon as possible.” She started towards the door and Shiro followed her, leaving Keith with Rio in the living room. When she was outside, she lowered her voice. “According to sources, he’s far less likely to be targeted if he’s mated. Make the mark obvious, Shiro.”

 

“What sources?” Shiro asked, brow furrowing. “How do you know this?”

 

“Trust me. I’ll explain to you later.” Allura hugged him briefly before walking down the snow-covered steps. “I’ll see you later.”

 

Shiro waved, and all too soon she was out of sight, around the corner and gone. He closed the door slowly and locked it. Everything she had said was very unsettling.

 

“Shiro?” Keith called from the living room, and the alpha hurried to him. “We should do as she said.”

 

He didn’t bother to respond with words, but tenderly kissed his to-be mate. Keith blushed and awkwardly stood on the tips of his toes, before Shiro pulled away, feelings of arousal rising in his groin.

 

“You’re excited,” Keith pointed out. Shiro started to apologize – what for, he didn’t know – but Keith kept talking. “We should go back to your room. Do you have somewhere we could put Rio?”

 

“Yes, actually.” Of course, with his first mate, he’d gotten rid of almost everything after she had passed, save for a crib gifted by his father. He grabbed Keith’s hand and led him upstairs, hoping that the nursery wasn’t too dusty. He opened the door to the small, yellow-walled room, and Keith’s jaw dropped slightly.

 

“This is really nice,” Keith said, touching the white door trim. He eyed the crib next to one of the windows and touched the wooden frame, leaving fingerprints in the dust. “It needs to be cleaned but – If we put the crib in the hallway and then clean it – um, after we, you know.”

 

“We’ll move the crib,” Shiro suggested. “We can put it in my office until it’s cleaned.”

 

Keith nodded, seeming to like the idea, and held Rio as Shiro lifted the crib and carried it into the hallway. They got the crib into his barely lived-in office and settled Rio down with fresh sheets and one of Shiro’s shirts before Shiro picked up Keith and carried him to the bedroom.

 

“Shiro,” Keith whined, the scent of heat thicker now. Shiro tried to place him onto the bed but the omega wrapped his legs around Shiro’s waist, effectively holding them together.

 

“What’re you doing?”

 

Keith whined again, a blush spread across his cheeks. “I need you.”

 

“And I need you.” Shiro kissed him gently, urging a small gasp from Keith with a roll of his hips. Keith grinded against him, trying to increase the friction between their bodies, and Shiro wrapped his hands around Keith’s back to hold them together.

 

Slender fingers nimbly unbuttoned his pants and Shiro groaned as Keith teased the head of his cock with his fingertips. He thrust his hips forward, wanting to feel those warm fingers tight around him, but Keith backed away, leading him onto the bed. The omega made quick work of his own clothes while Shiro pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the floor.

 

“I want to taste,” Keith mumbled, and Shiro paused.

 

“Taste wha – _ah_.” Keith’s tongue flicked against the head of his cock and he shuddered. “You don’t have to-”

 

A moan escaped his lips as Keith’s mouth enclosed around his cock. Keith glanced at him, eyes half-closed in lust, and he began to bob his head forward, tongue provocatively teasing the tip of Shiro’s hard member. He tangled his fingers in Keith’s hair, wanting to thrust forward into that hot, wet cavern, but he resisted the urge and instead simply ran his fingers through the omega’s black locks, urging a small purr to start in Keith’s chest. The sensation of the vibration on his cock almost forced him to climax immediately and he pulled back, not wanting to end things so soon.

 

“Did I do okay?” Keith asked, almost sounding nervous.

 

Shiro kissed his cheek. “You did amazing.”

 

He pushed Keith onto his back and slipped a finger inside of the omega’s slicked entrance, drawing a gasp from Keith.

 

“ _F-Fuck_.” Keith arched his back and Shiro added a second digit, slowly moving in and out of Keith’s entrance. “Fucking – fuck. Shiro. Please.”

 

It would have been amazing to push himself inside of Keith right then, but the omega was still too tight. He would never forgive himself if he hurt Keith by accident. Instead, he ignored Keith’s pleas to knot him and focused on opening the omega up, convincing those tight muscles to relax. When he felt Keith was ready, he pressed his cock against Keith’s entrance, wanting to make sure the omega was absolutely sure he wanted to be knotted.

 

“Keith, are you sure you want to do this?”

 

The omega beneath him uttered an impatient growl. “Yes.”

 

Shiro gently pushed inside of him. Keith dug his nails into Shiro’s back, gasps drawn wantonly from his lips as Shiro entered deeper. The alpha began to move his hips, urging cries of pleasure from Keith; Fuck, Keith felt so good. He increased his pace and grabbed Keith’s hands, holding them above the omega’s head, fucking him good and fast and deep.

 

“Yes, yes, _yes_ , _Shiro_.” Keith’s breaths were quicker now, and he felt the omega tighten around him. “ _Ah_ , yes, _fuck_. _Fuck me_.”

 

“You’re so fucking good,” he said lowly. “And you’re mine. _Mine_.”

 

He felt Keith contract around him as the omega orgasmed. He sunk his teeth into that special spot on the side of Keith’s neck, marking him permanently, and the omega returned the favor as soon as Shiro released his hold. Within a few more thrusts, Shiro climaxed, spilling his seed inside of Keith. The knot at the base of his cock forming, he leaned forward to kiss Keith tenderly and loud purrs vibrated from the omega’s chest.

 

“I’m sorry for being so rough,” Shiro apologized, but Keith simply kissed his forehead.

 

“It’s okay. It felt really good.” Keith peered at him. “My heat feels a lot better.”

 

“Good,” Shiro sighed in relief. In retrospect, he should have been gentler. At least he hadn’t hurt the omega.

 

“I love you.”

 

Red flushed Shiro’s face. “I love you, too.”

 

* * *

 

Keith snuggled closer to his mate. It was almost dinnertime, and they’d spent the whole day cleaning the nursery and, well, fucking and sleeping. They’d napped for a bit after the first time, but after that, it was a pattern of cleaning and knotting. Dust, then fuck in the shower. Mop the floor, then back to the bedroom. Put all the furniture back, then to the shower again. Something about being just-mated made the both of them able to keep going, to reaffirm the everlasting bond, remark and rescent and reestablish the fact that _they were mates_. Keith knew his heat only slightly raised his want for the alpha – the rest of it was all psychological.

 

“Are you awake?” Shiro mumbled next to him. Keith placed a kiss on his mate’s nose.

 

“Yeah.” He yawned. “Barely, though.”

 

Shiro grunted and wrapped his arm around Keith’s waist, pulling their bodies together into a crescent shape. The omega loved the cuddling and the sudden urge to nest sprung forward in his consciousness. Absently-mindedly, he started to arrange the sheets around himself, lazily moving the blankets. The sheets would need to be washed, that was for sure, but right now it was fine.

 

“Are you nesting?” Shiro asked quietly.

 

Keith nodded. “Yes.” Sitting up, he moved several pillows to the sides, making sure everything was soft and comfortable. Shiro watched, amused, as Keith tried to navigate around the alpha’s lounging body.

 

“Do you want me to move?”

 

“Not yet.” Keith grabbed the softest blanket he could find from the pile at the end of the bed and wrapped it around himself before flopping onto his unhurt side. He gazed at his mate for a second before kissing him on the lips. “I love you.”

 

Shiro kissed him deeply, tasting the inside of Keith’s mouth with his tongue. The omega cupped his face – caressing his jaw and neck – and a small rumbling sound began in Shiro’s chest, growing louder and louder into a full-blown purr. Almost immediately, his own little purrs started, mixing with Shiro’s. He hadn’t known that alphas could purr. Maybe they were always too tense and distracted to allow themselves to do so.

 

“Da-Da!” Rio called from the hallway. Breaking the kiss, Shiro and Keith got up and went to the nursery, where Rio stood in his crib, smiling and little arms reached forward.

 

“He wants to be held,” Shiro muttered, moving to scooped up the pup. “Do you think he’s hungry?”

 

“Probably.” Keith took the pup from Shiro and Rio happily nestled against his chest. The omega allowed himself a warm smile as he carried the pup downstairs to the kitchen. Shiro opened the refrigerator and frowned.

 

“Well, we don’t have any meat or veggies. I was meaning to restock today, but that didn’t happen.” Shiro closed the refrigerator and sighed. “Okay, I’ll go out and get some food.”

 

“I want to come. With Rio.” Keith figured he could just borrow some of Shiro’s clothes and he’d be fine, but the alpha had other plans.

 

“I don’t think you should,” Shiro said carefully.

 

Keith cocked his head to the side. “Why not?”

 

The alpha paused. “You’re in heat, and recently mated. It’s too dangerous.”

 

Irritation pricked at his skin. “I can defend myself, Shiro.”

 

“I know. I just don’t trust a lot of people out there, and I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.”

 

“Oh,” he said guiltily. He should’ve taken Shiro’s feelings into consideration. It would probably stress out any alpha to have their new, in-heat mate out and about in public. “So I should just stay here, then.”

 

“Please, Keith.” Shiro pressed his hand against Keith’s cheek, caressing the soft skin. Keith leaned into his touch, already wanting more but knowing that Shiro needed to go, even if it was just for food. He really needed to eat if he wanted to conceive again…

 

Was that what he wanted?

 

Keith bit his bottom lip. Would Shiro want that? Another pup? Keith didn’t know if _he_ wanted it. But his body did, and his instincts did, any every bit of his omega DNA told him that the best way to secure a partnership would be to have more pups. Granted, it didn’t always – there were divorces – but most of the time, it held true that pairings with pups were less likely to separate. Maybe it was just his heat that made him think like this, but Keith couldn’t be sure. He didn’t remember what it had been like to be pregnant or give birth, or what the circumstances were. It must have been painful, if he was alone.

 

“Um, Shiro,” he began, not sure if he wanted to ask his questions or not, but the alpha looked his way and Keith forced himself to continue. “What – How was I when we first met? Had I already had Rio? And who is Rio’s sire? It’s not you, is it?”

 

Shiro sighed deeply. “Those are hard questions. Uh, well, you were very, very scared and shy when we met for the first time. You were really thin and hungry and didn’t know what to do. You were mute, too, and didn’t talk to anybody, except for Rio, and that was only when you were alone. You took a long time to learn to trust us.”

 

Keith swallowed. It didn’t sound as if he’d been in a good situation before meeting Shiro.

 

“You’d already given birth to Rio by the time you found us, but he was only a few days old.” Shiro stopped, as if debating whether or not to say something. “But Rio… wasn’t your only pup. You told me – and I haven’t told anyone else – that you had two others who passed early on.”

 

“They died?” Keith asked in horror. “Why? How?”

 

“I don’t know. You weren’t in a good situation before. Whoever sired your litter didn’t care enough to help you.” The alpha drew in a deep breath and released. This was _hard_ for him, Keith realized. He didn’t want to tell Keith anything that would hurt him. “You had a small nest in an abandoned factory. You… I think you were so desperate for food that you sold yourself, Keith.”

 

“I wouldn’t do that,” Keith argued, though doubtful of his words. “I would _never_ do that.”

 

“You wouldn’t have had a choice,” Shiro said, a bitter edge in his tone. “You were barely scraping by. I don’t know what happened to you over the last year, but your body was covered in scars and marks. Hunk told me that you would have nightmares – he said he’d hear you cry at night or that you just wouldn’t sleep, and that you’d come downstairs exhausted in the morning. When you started to open up to me, I just. I realized how much I wanted, needed to protect you. And then, I kissed you. You were really happy about that, I think.” Shiro’s breaths were shaky now and Keith fought the urge to go and comfort him, knowing that any interruption would halt Shiro’s words. “Then… you disappeared. You didn’t take Rio, and I knew you would have never left him voluntarily. Hunk and Shay said a man came in looking for you, saying that you were a friend of his and that you’d run away from home – they didn’t know what to believe and thought that he was truly there to help you. I didn’t see him, but… Keith, I think that man was Damien.”

 

“No.” Keith shook his head. “No. It wouldn’t be Damien. I loved him. He wouldn’t do that.”

 

“He beat you, Keith. He’s not above kidnapping you.”

 

“I _loved_ him. He was kind and loved me, I think, for a time.” Keith backed away from his mate, refusing to believe it. Damien – though he’d turned rotten – had been good to him. Before he met Shiro, Damien had been perfect. There was no way Damien had kidnapped him – the thought was ridiculous. “Damien might have been an asshole, but he would have never kidnapped me. He wasn’t like that.”

 

“I don’t know,” Shiro said slowly. “But I think that it’s safe to say that we don’t know anything about him other that he’s somehow involved. He might not be the Rio’s sire, but he’s not innocent, either.”

 

“He’s not!” Keith protested.

 

“Okay, then what do you know about him? What do you know about his past, Keith?”

 

“His dad was a banker,” Keith argued, recalling the information. “His mom died when his was a kid and then his dad remarried his stepmom before passing away a few years later. Sure, he was really shitty to me, but he’s not a psychopath, Shiro!”

 

“Okay! Okay.” Shiro held his hand up in surrender. “Okay. I’m going to get groceries now. Please stay here, love.”

 

“Of course,” Keith said with a huff. “Just hurry, okay? I’m really hungry.”

 

“I will,” Shiro promised. “I love you – I’ll be back soon.”

 

“I love you, too,” the omega responded, and he watched as his mate left the kitchen, closing his eyes as the front door closed and locked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BUT is he really not a psychopath, Keith? I feel like he might be. 
> 
> I'm busy brainstorming a tragic backstory for Damien so stay tuned for more heartache <3


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